as in plundering
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in looting
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
2
as in searching
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 ransacking
Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Christophe Garnier, the leader of Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan said the organization had to evacuate its staff from Akobo on Saturday and learned of the subsequent looting of its hospital and the ransacking of its office.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
But to discover yourself outpaced by a reality that bears an uncanny resemblance to your own fiction seems to be a particularly painful indignity to bear, a kind of spiritual ransacking.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
The mere sight of the ransacking seems to quicken his speech.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Two men were arrested in connection with a series of high-end burglaries at the homes of affluent Southern Californians, including the ransacking of superstar Brad Pitt’s house, law enforcement sources said Monday.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Selina Guevara, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
But Dead City fans have responded to cops raiding a concert by setting fires and ransacking a Metro train full of workers trying to get home.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Like some ghastly old lag, ransacking the plans of a bank vault!
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Once targets were identified, prosecutors said the group broke into homes, sometimes cutting power beforehand before ransacking them.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
After busting down his door and ransacking his home, armed officers found neither drugs nor any signs of a kidnapping.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
The city of Los Angeles is about to raise property tax bills because thieves and vandals won’t stop ransacking the city’s infrastructure to steal copper wire.
—Susan Shelley, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
After ransacking the house, the sheriff and deputies left.
—Ted Olson, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
In one case, Naqvi apparently tried to pin the ransacking of an apartment on an ex-boyfriend.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Christophe Garnier, the leader of Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan said the organization had to evacuate its staff from Akobo on Saturday and learned of the subsequent looting of its hospital and the ransacking of its office.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
But to discover yourself outpaced by a reality that bears an uncanny resemblance to your own fiction seems to be a particularly painful indignity to bear, a kind of spiritual ransacking.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
The mere sight of the ransacking seems to quicken his speech.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Two men were arrested in connection with a series of high-end burglaries at the homes of affluent Southern Californians, including the ransacking of superstar Brad Pitt’s house, law enforcement sources said Monday.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
But Dead City fans have responded to cops raiding a concert by setting fires and ransacking a Metro train full of workers trying to get home.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Like some ghastly old lag, ransacking the plans of a bank vault!
—Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Once targets were identified, prosecutors said the group broke into homes, sometimes cutting power beforehand before ransacking them.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
After busting down his door and ransacking his home, armed officers found neither drugs nor any signs of a kidnapping.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
The city of Los Angeles is about to raise property tax bills because thieves and vandals won’t stop ransacking the city’s infrastructure to steal copper wire.
—Susan Shelley, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
After ransacking the house, the sheriff and deputies left.
—Ted Olson, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacking
Noun
-
Some have traveled farther as part of colonial-era collections — as far as the British Museum — and been returned; a story unto itself about the plundering of the natural world in the age of empire, and institutions reckoning with their inheritance.—
Tom Page,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Living through the aftermath of Rome’s plundering in 410 by the Visigoths, Augustine keenly appreciated the fact that empires come and go.—
Brett Whalen,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Richard Schmeelk died at age 97 in May 2022 — but Corona kept on looting his widow’s accounts, according to court records.—
Kamaron McNair,Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The trio stripped down and left little to the imagination in their lingerie, raided the liquor cabinet, soaked in a bubble bath, stole a Grammy and cannonballed into a pool — all while looting the house for cash and jewels.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Celtics won by 32 and Philly will be searching for answers.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For a team that has spent much of the season searching for consistency and identity, this was something new.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
-
In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.—
Brandon Prins,
The Conversation,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Downing Street moved swiftly late on Thursday to try to quash the scandal, sacking the Foreign Office’s top official, Olly Robbins.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The confrontation went viral in December 2024, as cameras captured Gastineau confronting Favre in 2023 over Michael Strahan sacking the Green Bay Packers legend to break Gastineau's single-season sack record.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One way to tackle the show at the Met is to go from start to finish, diligently combing through all two hundred and thirty-seven pieces by Raphael and his wider circle.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
After that check was delivered to the state Department of Social Services office in Hartford, the audit into Zervas’ optometry practice was dropped, which prevented state auditors from combing through her records and potentially clawing back even more money for the state.—
Dave Altimari,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The people who've made it out are telling us horror stories of mass killings, of rape and pillage of women and families.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh.—
Corey Buhay,
Outside Online,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Stories are going viral about passengers raiding complimentary buffets in lounges, and children wreaking havoc while distracted parents are unfazed.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But Dead City fans have responded to cops raiding a concert by setting fires and ransacking a Metro train full of workers trying to get home.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacking. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
