1
as in plundered
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 searched
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
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Recent Examples of ransacked
The dark side featured the rise of Hitler, descriptions of Kristallnacht — when Nazi youth ransacked Jewish homes and stores in 1938 — and Nazi plans for the Final Solution, or genocide of all European Jews.
—
Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
With drum circles, ransacked guest rooms and theatrical confrontations staged across sandy paths and candlelit dinners, guests become active participants in the drama.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The group inside the building ransacked the furniture and at least one person appeared to steal a package before sirens were heard and people rushed back outside.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Ben goes into Bailey’s room, which looks like someone just ransacked it, looking for a monster hiding under the bed that wasn’t there.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
The burglars ransacked both registers and took $1,000 cash, and also broke into the safe, which contained $5,000, Zamudio said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota, remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
With drum circles, ransacked guest rooms and theatrical confrontations staged across sandy paths and candlelit dinners, guests become active participants in the drama.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The group inside the building ransacked the furniture and at least one person appeared to steal a package before sirens were heard and people rushed back outside.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Ben goes into Bailey’s room, which looks like someone just ransacked it, looking for a monster hiding under the bed that wasn’t there.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
The burglars ransacked both registers and took $1,000 cash, and also broke into the safe, which contained $5,000, Zamudio said.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—Time Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota, remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.
—February 25, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransacked
Verb
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Before being definitively plundered, the museum was home to the most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in the world.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The area has been plundered for centuries.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Officers searched the area for Ebert and his 2001 Buick, which was found unoccupied with front-end damage in the 15000 block of Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Police reported finding two hydrocodone pills in the 50-year-old Presidential Medal of Freedom winner’s pockets when he was searched at the crash site.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Jewish family had hidden in Lyon during World War II, only to learn that their apartment had been looted and rented in their absence.—
Shannon Fogg,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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One world-famous example of an item of value allegedly looted from India is the Koh-i-noor diamond.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its founding principles—informed by an environmentally-conscious ethos and values which ‘protect the islands, support local communities, and do business in a…fair and future-focused way,’ says Dixon—mirrored those at Nikoi, and still hold strong today.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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And the three who founded it in 1998 ran two unlicensed boarding schools in Missouri that have since been closed amid abuse allegations.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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North Texas — whose roster was pillaged in the portal and saw its top players leave for Oklahoma State alongside former head coach Eric Morris — have signed 42 transfers.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
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In a landscape of sequels and overly pillaged IP, the Stranger Things finale is finite and close-ended, the credits rolling once and for all.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2020, the nest was raided by an unpaired male, and only three of seven chicks survived.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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She was shot to death about 12 hours after police raided Gilbert’s home and found the pistol used to kill Stevenson, according to court filings.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The pieces were on loan from a Bucharest museum, whose head was promptly sacked for lending the works out in the first place.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The town was sacked and burned by the Portuguese in 1531.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
Cite this Entry
“Ransacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransacked. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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