ransack

1 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 despoil, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, sack Related Words break in, burglarize, rip off, steal (from); comb, hunt, rake, rifle, rummage; harry, raid; ravish

2 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 bracelet you lent me and it's nowhere to be found Synonyms comb, dig (through), dredge, hunt (through), rake, search, rifle, rummage, scour, sort (through), trollRelated Words frisk, pat down, shake down; audit, check (out), examine, inspect, investigate, review, scan, scrutinize, survey; ascertain, descry, detect, determine, discover, ferret (out), find, find out, get, hit (on or upon), learn, locate, run down, scare up, track (down); grub (about), poke (around); explore, probe, prospect, skirmish, snoop; browse, glance (over), look over; peruse, studyNear Antonyms hide; abandon, lose; ignore, neglect