ransack

verb ran·sack \ ˈran-ˌsak , (ˌ)ran-ˈ \

Definition of ransack

transitive verb

1 a :to search thoroughly

b :to examine closely and carefully

2 :to search through to commit robbery :plunder

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ransacker

noun

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Examples of ransack in a Sentence

Robbers ransacked the apartment looking for money.
The room had been ransacked.

Recent Examples of ransack from the Web

The purchase was made around 1 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2014, the day relatives first reported the couple missing after finding their home abandoned and ransacked.

— ken daley, NOLA.com, "Reserve couple drownings trial sees co-defendant refuse testimony," 23 Aug. 2017
Hays said the robbers ransacked the house for possibly about 10 minutes, then took the keys to a Lexus belonging to the victim’s wife.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Valencia Park resident injured in home invasion robbery, car theft," 17 Aug. 2017
Two men ransacked the house and used tools from the garage and barn to remove a safe bolted down in the master bedroom and then a blanket to drag it away.

— everton bailey jr., OregonLive.com, "Tased robbery victim testifies at ex-detective's trial, says she feared for her life," 9 Aug. 2017
The man reported that a second car, a Honda Civic, that had been locked and left in the driveway had also been entered and ransacked.

— La Cañada Valley Sun, "Crime Report: No one collared after burglar uses pet door to enter Kirst Street home," 19 July 2017
Cash stolen from locked safe in a locked office and office ransacked.

— baltimoresun.com, "Towson crime log," 14 July 2017
Between June 29 at 9 p.m. and June 30 at 8 a.m. Vehicle parked in front of a residence ransacked; nothing stolen.

— baltimoresun.com, "Towson crime log," 14 July 2017
Recent demonstrations by trade union movements linked to the PT led to some of the most violent scenes in Brasilia’s history, with activists ransacking ministry buildings and even setting one on fire.

— bruce douglas, Bloomberg.com, "Lula Sentenced to Prison and Tension Mounts in Brazil Once Again," 12 July 2017
The duo demanded money from her, then ransacked the apartment on Sirocco Lane, south of Adobe Falls Road.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Home invasion robbers make getaway in resident's car," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ransack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Ransack carries the image of a house being torn out of order, as might happen when you are frantically searching for something. This is appropriate given the word's origin. Ransack derives via Middle English from Old Norse "rannsaka"; the "rann" in rannsaka means "house." The second half of "rannsaka" is related to an Old English word, secan, meaning "to seek." But our modern use of the word isn't restricted to houses. You can ransack a drawer, a suitcase, or even the contents of a book (for information). A now-obsolete frequentative form of "ransack," "ransackle," gave us our adjective "ramshackle."