1
as in to plunder
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 to search
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 ransack
Clark testified that Combs accused her of stealing diamond jewelry and had a security guard ransack her apartment looking for the items.
—
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
The legend was born when Spain’s conquistadors ransacked the Americas for gold, silver and precious gems.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
As Fan and his accomplices ransacked the home, the victim managed to free herself, run out of the apartment and open the gate allowing cops access to the building.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
On Monday night, looters took to the streets and ransacked a series of storefronts, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed with Fox News Digital.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
The legend was born when Spain’s conquistadors ransacked the Americas for gold, silver and precious gems.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
As Fan and his accomplices ransacked the home, the victim managed to free herself, run out of the apartment and open the gate allowing cops access to the building.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
On Monday night, looters took to the streets and ransacked a series of storefronts, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed with Fox News Digital.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack
Verb
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The British Museum has many artifacts in its collection which were plundered during imperial and colonial eras, and are contested.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
11 July 2025
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In time, settlers would excavate and plunder countless ancestral ruins across the Southwest, with artifacts carried off to private collections and museum displays.—
Mike Bezemek,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Authorities searched the Chatfield Reservoir for a missing paddleboarder Monday evening.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
8 July 2025
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As rescuers search for people by air, land and water, officials are warning those in central Texas that the flooding threat is not over.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
7 July 2025
Verb
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There is no serious evidence of starvation in Gaza, and what food scarcity does exist can be attributed to Hamas pillaging and hoarding aid.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2025
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Noni finds him in Crete, where Lion’s crew of pirates, assembled from fighters from around the world, are currently pillaging and enslaving a town.—
Kambole Campbell,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Verb
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As a 17-year-old, Gena Sims found inspiration while taking care of her sister.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 July 2025
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Scientists have found a new way to cheat the system – which is both ingenious and disturbing.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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On a stroll through New York City yesterday, Hathaway’s outfit offered a fun solution for not sacking off your denim in the high summer heat just yet.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
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At least one department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, has massively scaled back a plan to sack more than 76,000 employees.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
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The crowds are usually made up of people desperate for food who grab supplies off the passing trucks, and armed gangs have also looted trucks.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
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The Journal Sentinel is not specifying the location at the request of tribal officials, due to the risk of looting.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
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Gaddis was an obscure state employee who was fired from his job last summer after leaking details of a secret plot by the DeSantis administration to despoil nine pristine Florida state parks with golf courses, pickleball courts and resort-style lodges — all to benefit his wealthy friends.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Bread and milk were in short supply after worried customers raided shelves at grocery stores and bakeries.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
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His story came into the spotlight after law enforcement raided Jamaica's Atlantis Leadership Academy.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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