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
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Recent Examples of ransack
The back door was smashed and the home ransacked.
—
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Guzman had previously been to court for both allegedly trying to set her father’s house on fire and ransacking a priest’s home — on the same day.
—Selina Guevara, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
On the drive back to her dormitory, Daisy sees that the florist’s shop has been ransacked.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Like some ghastly old lag, ransacking the plans of a bank vault!
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Guzman had previously been to court for both allegedly trying to set her father’s house on fire and ransacking a priest’s home — on the same day.
—Selina Guevara, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
On the drive back to her dormitory, Daisy sees that the florist’s shop has been ransacked.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Like some ghastly old lag, ransacking the plans of a bank vault!
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack
Verb
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But Klaasen didn’t hold back and shared an 80-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 21, and then Salil Arora (30 not out) plundered three sixes and two fours as Hyderabad notched its fifth straight win.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Kyiv has long accused Russia of plundering these regions' resources.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deputies searched the beach and found blood, two pairs of shoes, a Glock handgun and shell casings, according to an arrest affidavit police provided to the Daily News.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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Navigate the map to a specific address or intersection by searching for it in the search box at the bottom of the map.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Reyes asked that if any such signs were found that the government’s attorney be told.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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The sellout Garden arena gave a standing ovation as the ball found Josh Hart, who missed a wide-open corner three.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Andy Sachs (Hathaway) has just been sacked from her respected position as an award-winning reporter at a vital, forward-thinking political news outlet.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
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While Troy may well have been sacked in a war, historians are largely unwilling to accept that it was ever destroyed by a crack team of Greek soldiers hidden inside a giant wooden horse.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The inscriptions were originally inlaid with gold, which was looted following the British annexation of Myanmar in 1885 and replaced with black ink beginning in 1892.—
Ethan Teekah,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
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As with Osterweil, who argued that white supremacy can render even violent looting a legitimate act, Piker and Tolentino suggest that certain crimes become not just morally justifiable but even admirable when coupled with a claim against structural injustice.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 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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The five autism service centers raided by federal law enforcement on Tuesday as part of an apparent series of fraud investigations all utilize money from the same state program that two other providers have already pleaded guilty to stealing from.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
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Both restaurants, which were allegedly used in gambling operations, were raided by the FBI Wednesday.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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