1
as in plunders
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 searches
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
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Recent Examples of ransacks
The culminating episode, as the mob smashes and ransacks a hospital and terrorizes its patients, ultimately reveals a frail elderly man, standing naked and alone in an empty bathtub as the assailants approach.
—
John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacks
Verb
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By delegitimizing the Islamic Republic as an occupying force—one that plunders national wealth to subsidize regional proxies—the opposition has effectively subverted the regime’s nationalist rhetoric.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
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Lowell plunders an emerald out of a wrecked ship, starts a fistfight with a local ruler, nearly dies when a boa constrictor wraps itself around her neck, and is wounded by an alligator.—
Michael Waters,
New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Seamus Heaney’s poetry has long been treated as a kind of sacred text in Ireland, recited in schools, memorialized in public spaces, and invoked whenever the island searches for language equal to its own complexity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
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But Phia also pays attention to what each user typically searches for.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her elegant collaboration was a reminder that the world has long created the kinds of crises that threaten our stability today, and a good artist finds a way to make work that shows us a way through it, even if the answer is as simple as making something beautiful.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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The film invites viewers to experience the rhythm, drama, and intimacy of life at the edge of the world, revealing that in the coldest corners of the earth one finds the warmest people, brimming with wit, resilience, and generosity.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Israel blames Hamas for the scale of the destruction in Gaza, saying the group hides behind civilians, uses civil infrastructure for military purposes, and loots humanitarian aid intended for ordinary Gazans.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Manning, back for what is probably his final season, is on the short list of best returning quarterbacks in the country and edge rusher Colin Simmons won the SEC sacks title with 12.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Jan. 2026
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Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ransacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacks. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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