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
Sometime overnight, the salon was ransacked and various products were taken.
—
Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
In that incident, police said four suspects drove a vehicle into a business off Almaden Road near a highway and ransacked it.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Three men were arrested after posing as Amazon delivery drivers in order to gain entry and ransack a home in Florida, according to the North Port Police Department.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 24 July 2025
Thieves ransacked the home and took an unknown amount of miscellaneous property, officials said.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
In that incident, police said four suspects drove a vehicle into a business off Almaden Road near a highway and ransacked it.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Three men were arrested after posing as Amazon delivery drivers in order to gain entry and ransack a home in Florida, according to the North Port Police Department.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 24 July 2025
Thieves ransacked the home and took an unknown amount of miscellaneous property, officials said.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ransack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack
Verb
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England's all-time top scorer, Harry Kane, finally ended his hunt for major silverware last term and starts afresh, hoping to take Die Roten to more plunder this term.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Players can plunder a dragon’s hoard one week and battle an undead star fleet the next.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Boston is still trying to shed salary, so the C's are actively searching for a trade partner to facilitate a deal.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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Deputies searched for the toddler and man throughout the day.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Mountain West has subsequently pillaged lower levels for new members, and the domino effect has left many mid-majors in a state of unease at best, total disarray and panic at worst.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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The warriors who pillaged distant lands, for instance, returned with at least 20,000 elephants, lions, leopards and other exotic creatures that were paraded in public spaces and killed in gruesome displays of power, their meat likely distributed to city residents.—
Krista Langlois,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 July 2025
Verb
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The full schedule can be found at detroitjazzfest.org, where the entire festival can also be live streamed from home or abroad.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Crews are remaining alert to the likely possibility of finding additional starts in the next few days.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While those numbers were solid, he was also sacked 68 times, due much in part to the 23-year-old holding on to the football for too long.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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Hopper later sacked Milroe for a 3-yard loss on a fourth-and-2.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the last few months, Hamas has violently looted the aid trucks meant to get to Palestinian civilians.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
20 Aug. 2025
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The actual plotlines of whose toney East End digs get looted won’t be revealed until next spring when season 2 debuts.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
17 Aug. 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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The National Park Service said rangers had detected and raided this cultivation site in 2024, but were unable to rehabilitate the site until mid-August of this year due to the presence of hazardous chemicals.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
25 Aug. 2025
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In 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided his home in California in connection with his bong company, Chong Glass, on charges of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia.—
Will Yakowicz,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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