sack 1 of 3

noun

ˈsak How to pronounce sack (audio)
Definition of sacknext
1
as in bag
a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic) asked the bagger to put all the loaves of bread in the same sack

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in bed
a place set aside for sleeping I think I'm ready to hit the sack

Synonyms & Similar Words

sack

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to dismiss
to let go from office, service, or employment he was sacked for showing up late once too often

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sack

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to plunder
to search through with the intent of committing robbery thieves sacked the house in search of the diamond necklace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb sack contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sack are despoil, devastate, pillage, ravage, and waste. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Where would despoil be a reasonable alternative to sack?

The synonyms despoil and sack are sometimes interchangeable, but despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When could devastate be used to replace sack?

The words devastate and sack can be used in similar contexts, but devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When can ravage be used instead of sack?

While the synonyms ravage and sack are close in meaning, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

When might waste be a better fit than sack?

While in some cases nearly identical to sack, waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

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 sack
Noun
Sorrell entered Week 18 with just seven tackles in 13 games, two quarterback hurries and no sacks. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Campbell has 117 career sacks in 278 games, including 259 starts. — ABC News, 1 July 2026
Verb
The result was so emphatic that the Tunisian soccer federation acted fast, sacking manager Sabri Lamouchi just hours after. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 Alfaro had just been sacked by San Lorenzo, his eighth job in 14 years since starting as a 30-year-old following a brief playing career in Argentina. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sack
  1. bag
  2. bed
  3. dismiss
  4. plunder
  5. pouch
  6. couch
  7. remove
  8. loot
Noun
  • Photos apparently taken by the men themselves show wads of cash on the seat of a car, in a plastic bag and in stacks on the floor of a location in New York.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Using 10,000 rocks, more than seventy-five 80-pound bags of concrete, and over $1,000 in supplies, Ruggie has no regrets about his 14-foot deck burned in a shou sugi ban style.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, The Spruce, 1 July 2026
Definition of bag
Noun
  • Small, nervous dogs will feel safe and comfy in this furry donut bed.
    — Christina Shepherd McGuire, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Health officials declined to identify the facilities or to specify reasons, other than saying that the long-term care industry opens facilities and increases or decreases beds based on business factors.
    — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Definition of bed
Verb
  • In April, the Superior Court dismissed the three citations Hubbard received in May 2025 when no park ranger or city attorney appeared for the prosecution, his lawsuit states.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement.
    — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Lohar’s surviving mercenaries are plundering villages.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • Or was the hole man-made with a malevolent intent, perhaps plundering a grave for artifacts?
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of plunder
Noun
  • Oral nicotine pouches, NJOY e-vapor products and—through a joint venture with JT Group called Horizon Innovations—heated tobacco products.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The two pedestal tables store in pouches on the underside of the sofas, and the sofa benches themselves fold up and back against the wall.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 July 2026
Definition of pouch
Noun
  • The humble accessory that once adorned fainting couches in early 19th-century portraiture is appearing across modern bedrooms, from Ariel Kaye’s house to Brunch With Babs’s Connecticut home to this Palm Beach Spanish-style retreat.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026
  • Article is offering up to 40% off everything from outdoor lounge chairs to couches and more.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of couch
Verb
  • Three of the reports stemmed from consumers swallowing the metal pieces and seeking medical treatment to remove them from their digestive tract or throat, the agency said.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Residents objected to removing trees and other construction activities.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of remove
Verb
  • For his part, Klaus Kallmann also claims that his father, Hartmut Kallmann, always said that their family’s art collection was fully intact when the Nazis came to power and that the collection subsequently looted.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 30 June 2026
  • Though it had been looted by kids, most of the material was eventually recovered.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of loot

Phrases Containing sack

Browse Nearby Words

sacerdotal
sack
sacked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sack

Nglish: Translation of sack for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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 (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All