as in plundering
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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
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Recent Examples of 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
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
California’s suburbs were terrorized for years by a series of crimes that graduated from ransacking to rape and then murder.
—Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Protests intensified over the weekend, with rioters targeting the homes of lawmakers, ransacking and looting properties, and burning government buildings, according to media reports.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
In the video, the animals can be seen ransacking the establishment to satisfy their cravings, snacking on protein shakes, coffee and supplements.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
California’s suburbs were terrorized for years by a series of crimes that graduated from ransacking to rape and then murder.
—Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Protests intensified over the weekend, with rioters targeting the homes of lawmakers, ransacking and looting properties, and burning government buildings, according to media reports.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacking
Noun
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It was revealed during that trial that Low's plundering of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund exceeded $4 billion.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Nov. 2025
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Aron Solomon on how the Meta AI copyright decision made libraries sitting ducks for AI plundering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Dozens of people, mostly in Minnesota’s substantial Somali population, have been charged with looting the program by setting up companies that billed the state for supplying food that was never delivered.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Wednesday that it had been notified that teams had recommenced searching for Ran Gvili.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
Verb
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Pursuit of Purdy The Seahawks’ front seven made life difficult for Purdy, chasing him across the field while sacking him twice.—
Andrew Destin,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2026
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The Texans stifled the Steelers rushing attack and harassed Aaron Rodgers so extensively — sacking him four times, hitting him 12 times — that the future Hall of Fame quarterback scarcely had time to wait for plays to develop and repeatedly dumped the ball off for short gains.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Police are combing through a Chicago condo searching for clues in a double murder case that started more than 300 miles away.—
Sara Machi,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Historical researcher Segtnan came across the 1948 murder of a 9-year-old girl, Birgitta Sivander, while combing newspaper archives.—
Rebecca Hannigan,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 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
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Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh.—
Corey Buhay,
Outside Online,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Security agents have been going door to door, raiding homes to confiscate satellite dishes and arresting anyone who is using the service.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
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Investigators moved in stages, first raiding his business, then executing a search warrant at his Miami Lakes home.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacking. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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