RANSACK Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

ransack

verb

ˈran-ˌsak

Definition of ransack

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

Relevance

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

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 ransack At least 24 of the country’s 3,700 high schools have been set on fire or ransacked, according to France’s education minister. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026 While the mob ransacked and burned the home, local police stood by and watched. — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 The other incident involved the May 2019 ransacking in the Senate chamber. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Abby’s jewelry was ransacked along with cash and gold from Andrew’s desk. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ransack

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransack

Verb

Social media posts and merchant reports said luxury and beauty stores, including Sephora, Celine, Burberry and Louis Vuitton, were plundered.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
As noted recently by Deadline, other Chinese AI models continue to plunder IP, including MiniMax H3, which generated videos that violated studio brand safety standards 55% of the time when an image was used in a prompt.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of plunder

Verb

But at sea, Spanish guarda costas (armed customs officials) pounced on British ships, allegedly searching for goods being smuggled in for sale.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026
Planning and workflow platforms already allow buyers to search inventory, map locations, analyze audiences, compare formats and manage campaigns.

— Denys Kanel, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of search

Verb

Shopkeepers who’ve found their livelihoods suddenly at stake wonder where the police were while groups looted and pillaged with impunity.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
Sudan’s civil war, a conflict credibly described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has seen violence matched only by the belligerents’ rapacity in pillaging the country’s riches.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of pillage

Verb

Neither team could find a flow from three-point range in the first half as the teams combined to shoot five for 29 from deep — three of 16 by Golden State and two for 13 by Atlanta.

— Janie McCauley, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Of the first 15 plays for the Dallas offense, 10 were on the ground, and the Cowboys found success.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of find

Verb

Then the defense picked it up last week, picking off Justin Herbert twice (one was called back) and sacking him four times.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
When Ole Miss sacked Manning early in the second half and recovered his fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, there was a run on antacids at the concession stands.

— Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of sack

Verb

Rescue operations were complicated, with police firing tear gas at people who had begun looting neighboring shops, as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
The Paris march began peacefully, a week after widespread rioting and looting during protests across the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of loot

Verb

One looks to the story of the Haitian World Cup team, appearing in the tournament for the first time in fifty years, which has gathered expatriate players from the Haitian diaspora to play for that beautiful and utterly despoiled country, where many of them have never lived.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.

— Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026

Definition of despoil

Verb

Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Thieves raided a jewelry store in a crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

— Desiree Evans, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of raid

Browse Nearby Words

ran riot

ransack

ransacked

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Style

“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransack. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ransack

verb

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