RANSACK Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

ransack

verb

ˈran-ˌsak

Definition of ransack

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

Relevance

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ransack Officer Sean Lally told the court on Monday that the woman's room appeared ransacked and alleged that Jankauskas had broken a mirror and a bed. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Historical novelists are often charged with disrespect and unseriousness, of ransacking the archives for sensational scenery to hang behind their conventional family sagas and love stories. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 On April 18, Fort Lauderdale officers were called to an Airbnb in the 1600 block of Northwest 16th Court after a group of women who had rented the home returned to find it in disarray, furniture flipped over, their belongings ransacked a man inside. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 Entire ancient cities had been ransacked to the benefit of wealthy collectors and expansion-minded museum curators, who had profited from those works while the nation that had produced them starved. — Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ransack

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack

Verb

Meanwhile, Lohar’s surviving mercenaries are plundering villages.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Or was the hole man-made with a malevolent intent, perhaps plundering a grave for artifacts?

— Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026

Definition of plunder

Verb

To search the restaurant inspections, type in a keyword or restaurant name.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
When Claudia’s ghost rips into Louis and Lestat with a miasma of rage and despair, Anderson and Reid’s eyes search for each other across the room, reflecting the unexpected agony of this experience and the regret of putting Claudia through this.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026

Definition of search

Verb

At a time when security measures were more relaxed, hard-up antique print dealer Robert Kindred spent the summer of 1980 pillaging rare books and antique illustrations from academic libraries nationwide.

— Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Unfortunately, a group of eastern kings pillage Sodom and Gomorrah and take Lot captive along with others.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026

Definition of pillage

Verb

Gas stations across Russia are imposing limits on purchases, CNN’s analysis found, with fuel- tracking websites popping up to guide drivers to the best spots to fill up.

— Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

Definition of find

Verb

At Universal Studios’ CityWalk, the original from the film — last seen on screen in flames as Troy was brutally sacked by Damon’s army of rampaging Greeks — is on display outside the AMC Universal Cinema.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 July 2026
This time last year, the 52-year-old was sacked as Red Bull’s team principal after 20 years.

— Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of sack

Verb

Fifty-nine antiquities looted from Italy, Iraq, and Indonesia, including 45 seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, have been returned to their countries of origin, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
According to the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums in Yemen, 28 Yemeni artifacts held in London have been looted from their country of origin.

— News Desk, Artforum, 7 July 2026

Definition of loot

Verb

One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
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

Definition of despoil

Verb

Alaska also demonstrates that the fear that dividends automatically create dependency or invite politicians to raid the principal is overblown.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Added to this, Whitehall has historically faced criticism for treating the armed forces as a budget piggy bank to be raided whenever public funds run short.

— David Szondy July 01, New Atlas, 1 July 2026

Definition of raid

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ran riot

ransack

ransacked

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Style

“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ransack

verb

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