1
as in plundered
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 searched
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 ransacked
The masked home invaders that ransacked a Winnetka residence in search of cryptocurrency accounts in March held a person face-down on the ground as a child ran for help, new court filings allege.
—
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Investigators said the suspects ransacked the Scott Road house, but the homeowners said nothing was stolen.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The back door was smashed and the home ransacked.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 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
Seemingly half of the testers in the gondolas (Sephora-speak for brand shelving) at their Beverly Hills location looked like they had been ransacked by zombies.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Someone had entered through her bathroom window, the only one in the house without an alarm, and ransacked the place.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
With drum circles, ransacked guest rooms and theatrical confrontations staged across sandy paths and candlelit dinners, guests become active participants in the drama.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Investigators said the suspects ransacked the Scott Road house, but the homeowners said nothing was stolen.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The back door was smashed and the home ransacked.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 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
Seemingly half of the testers in the gondolas (Sephora-speak for brand shelving) at their Beverly Hills location looked like they had been ransacked by zombies.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Someone had entered through her bathroom window, the only one in the house without an alarm, and ransacked the place.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
With drum circles, ransacked guest rooms and theatrical confrontations staged across sandy paths and candlelit dinners, guests become active participants in the drama.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacked
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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Five years after the Halifax Resolves were adopted, the British army briefly occupied the town and plundered its homes, according to the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites and Properties.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the Timberwolves desperately searched for an equalizer in the final five minutes, Notre Dame goaltender Kendra DeLawter stood tall in net, robbing two point-blank attempts to preserve the lead for the Cougars.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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When blood was found on a neighbor’s garbage can, police searched the Revere Road house but found nothing.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Roughly 100,000 artworks were looted in France during the war, according to a report published by the Working Party on the Spoliation of Jews in France, set up by the French government in 1997.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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Jenkins also admitted stealing cocaine, heroin, and marijuana—along with pharmaceuticals looted during the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Chicago Defender newspaper was founded.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
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It was founded in 1998 by Germaine Acogny, who is widely regarded as the mother of African contemporary dance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 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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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
Verb
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Starmer sacked Mandelson last September after a trove of emails revealed the depth of his ties with Epstein.—
Elizabeth Piper,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Three months later, the city sacked the police and fire chiefs, announcing the decision late on a Friday.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
4 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Ransacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacked. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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