RANSACKS Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

ransacks

verb

present tense third-person singular of ransack

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

Relevance

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacks

Verb

Critics contend the industry plunders distressed companies, leading to downsizing and cost-cutting that hurts local communities, though other research has pushed back on that reputation.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
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

Definition of plunders

Verb

Search data tracked by WWD shows lymphatic massage searches up 150% since 2021, face brush searches up nearly 2,850% and vibration plate searches up roughly 3,100% since 2020.

— Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
The risk from mass tourism Indira Navarro, who leads a civilian group in Jalisco that searches for missing people, said disappearances of young girls often spike during large sporting events.

— Michael Rios, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Definition of searches

Verb

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
Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.

— Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025

Definition of sacks

Browse Nearby Words

ransacking

ransacks

ransom

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ransacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacks. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ransacks

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on ransacks

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes