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
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
-
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
-
Aron Solomon on how the Meta AI copyright decision made libraries sitting ducks for AI plundering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Luckily for the Bears, the Packers have allowed nearly 100 more rushing yards per game without Parsons, in addition to sacking quarterbacks less than half as often.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Seahawks harassed Purdy throughout the night, sacking him three times and hitting him eight more.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh.—
Corey Buhay,
Outside Online,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
People were raiding stores and so forth.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The biggest compliment is that teams are raiding Brentford.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacking. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
