1
as in to plunder
to search through with the intent of committing robbery
it was clear that the thieves who had ransacked the museum were professionals—they bypassed most of the exhibits and went straight for the vaults
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
I've ransacked the whole house for that book you lent me and it's nowhere to be found
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ransack
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota, remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—
February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Militia members had ransacked and defiled the house.
—Yousra Elbagir, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation set off a wave of civil unrest, with vehicles set ablaze, shops ransacked and gunmen believed to be supporters of Oseguera blocking highways in more than a dozen states.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
The agents pushed through the door and ransacked the family’s belongings.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Militia members had ransacked and defiled the house.
—Yousra Elbagir, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation set off a wave of civil unrest, with vehicles set ablaze, shops ransacked and gunmen believed to be supporters of Oseguera blocking highways in more than a dozen states.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
The agents pushed through the door and ransacked the family’s belongings.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack
Verb
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The area has been plundered for centuries.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Orange County also has financial plundering stories.—
John Moorlach,
Oc Register,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities are searching for three missing crew members from the Mayuree Naree after 20 were rescued by the Omani navy, according to Thailand's Marine Department.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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Over two decades, the A’s searched for a new stadium, and the revenue a shiny state-of-the-art building could drive.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
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In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Suarez testified that agents found bullet casings on a mattress and on the floor, along with three boxes of ammunition and a flash-bang device, which can temporarily disorient people with a loud blast and bright flash.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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And with many larger room categories available, families of all sizes will find a place to bed down that fits their needs.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The documents show that after being sacked, Mandelson asked for a $732,000 payoff, the rest of his four-year salary.—
JILL LAWLESS AND BRIAN MELLEY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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He was sacked 55 times, tying for the league high.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kathy Ireland, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who later made the cover of Forbes as a branding mogul, has accused her former business managers of looting millions of dollars from her and leaving her deeply in debt.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
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In the Darfur region, three museums suffered complete destruction and looting during the first months of the conflict.—
Eissa Dafallah,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Reginald Arthurell — who began transitioning to a woman shortly after his release from prison in 2020 — was removed from the home after heavily armed officers raided the address on Monday, radio station 2GB reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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For one, Indigenous people resisted American colonists’ expansion into their ancestral homelands, raiding their farms and settlements in the Ohio Valley.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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