Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense ransacks, present participle ransacking, past tense, past participle ransacked
verb
If people ransack a building, they damage things in it or make it very untidy, often because they are looking for something in a quick and careless way.
Demonstrators ransacked and burned the house where he was staying. [VERB noun]
He returned from hospital to find thieves had ransacked his home. [VERB noun]
...the wrecked schools and churches, the ransacked embassies and homes. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: plunder, raid, loot, pillage More Synonyms of ransack
ransackingsingular noun
...the ransacking of the opposition party's offices. [+ of]
More Synonyms of ransack
ransack in British English
(ˈrænsæk)
verb(transitive)
1.
to search through every part of (a house, box, etc); examine thoroughly
2.
to plunder; pillage
Derived forms
ransacker (ˈransacker)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old Norse rann house + saka to search, seek
ransack in American English
(ˈrænˌsæk)
verb transitive
1.
to search thoroughly; examine every part of in searching
2.
to search through for plunder; pillage; rob
Derived forms
ransacker (ˈranˌsacker)
noun
Word origin
ME ransaken < ON rannsaka < rann, house (akin to OE ærn, Goth razn < IE base *(e)re-, to rest1) + -saka < sœkja, to seek
Examples of 'ransack' in a sentence
ransack
Dozens forced their way inside and ransacked the building.
The Sun (2010)
Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her house.
Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)
Shops were ransacked and traders were killed where they worked.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Police are urging motorists to wipe personal details from the gadgets or risk having their homes ransacked.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The crooks prised out the kitchen window and ransacked the house.
The Sun (2010)
He discovered the house had been ransacked and his car taken when he returned.
The Sun (2006)
They tied her to a chair in the nursery and then ransacked her house looking for cash and valuables.
The Sun (2012)
So the crowds ransacked the house.
Diane Purkiss The English Civil War: A People's History (2006)
Shortly afterwards her house was ransacked.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The shops have been ransacked, their steel shutters ripped away.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The couple's holiday home was ransacked by locals.
The Sun (2011)
The intruders grabbed 2,000 as they ransacked the house.
The Sun (2009)
She ransacked her house hunting for the ticket, before remembering she still had the play slip.
The Sun (2009)
A library had been ransacked and shops looted.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He was allowed home after one night, only to find his house had been ransacked in his absence.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A total of 44 active boxes were ransacked.
The Sun (2015)
The gangs sold their booty, families tried to earn money from their belongings and neighbours ransacked the homes of anyone who had not returned from prison.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I kept my keys in a'safe' place and as a result my home was ransacked.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
As one held him down and demanded to know where he kept his money, the others ransacked his home, pulling out drawers and emptying cupboards.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
A SHOCKED great gran died after suffering a heart attack when she found her home had been ransacked by burglars.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
ransack
British English: ransack VERB
If people ransack a building, they damage things in it or make it very untidy, often because they are looking for something in a quick and careless way.
Demonstrators ransacked and burned the house where he was staying.
American English: ransack
Brazilian Portuguese: revistar
Chinese: 洗劫
European Spanish: saquear
French: saccager
German: plündern
Italian: saccheggiare
Japanese: 荒らし回る
Korean: 뒤지다
European Portuguese: revistar
Latin American Spanish: saquear
1 (verb)
Definition
to search through every part of (a place or thing)
Why should they be allowed to ransack your bag?
Synonyms
search
Armed troops searched the hospital yesterday.
go through
rummage through
rake through
explore
The film explores the relationship between artist and instrument.
comb
Officers combed the woods for the murder weapon.
scour
We scoured the telephone directory for clues.
forage
They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel.
turn inside out
fossick (Australian, New Zealand)
If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy.
2 (verb)
Definition
to plunder or pillage
Demonstrators ransacked and burned the house where he was staying.
Synonyms
plunder
They plundered and burned the town.
raid
The guerrillas raided banks and destroyed a police barracks.
loot
Gangs began breaking windows and looting shops.
pillage
Soldiers went on a rampage, pillaging stores and shooting.
strip
The government is slowly stripping us of our rights.
sack
Imperial troops sacked the French ambassador's residence in Rome.
gut
The church had been gutted by vandals.
rifle
The child rifled the till while her mother distracted the postmistress.
ravage
Drought ravaged the area.
despoil (formal)
the modern day industry which has despoiled the town
Additional synonyms
in the sense of comb
Definition
to search with great care
Officers combed the woods for the murder weapon.
Synonyms
search,
hunt through,
sweep,
rake,
sift,
scour,
rummage,
ransack,
forage,
fossick (Australian, New Zealand),
go through with a fine-tooth comb
in the sense of despoil
Definition
to plunder
the modern day industry which has despoiled the town
Synonyms
plunder,
destroy,
strip,
rob,
devastate,
wreck,
rifle,
deprive,
loot,
trash (slang),
total (slang),
ravage,
dispossess,
pillage,
divest,
denude,
vandalize,
wreak havoc upon
in the sense of explore
Definition
to examine or investigate, esp. systematically
The film explores the relationship between artist and instrument.
Synonyms
investigate,
consider,
research,
survey,
search,
prospect,
examine,
probe,
analyse,
look into,
inspect,
work over,
scrutinize,
inquire into
Nearby words of
ransack
rank and file
ranking
rankle
ransack
ransom
rant
rap
Synonyms of 'ransack'
ransack
Explore 'ransack' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of forage
Definition
to obtain by searching about
They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel.
Synonyms
search,
hunt,
scavenge,
cast about,
seek,
explore,
raid,
scour,
plunder,
look round,
rummage,
ransack,
scrounge (informal),
fossick (Australian, New Zealand)
in the sense of fossick
Definition
to search for, through, or in something; to forage
If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy.
Synonyms
search,
hunt,
explore,
ferret,
check,
forage,
rummage
in the sense of gut
Definition
basic, essential, or natural
The church had been gutted by vandals.
Synonyms
ravage,
strip,
empty,
sack,
rifle,
plunder,
clean out,
ransack,
pillage,
despoil (formal)
in the sense of loot
Definition
to steal (money or goods) during war or riots
Gangs began breaking windows and looting shops.
Synonyms
plunder,
rob,
raid,
sack,
rifle,
ravage,
ransack,
pillage,
despoil (formal)
in the sense of pillage
Definition
to steal property violently, often in war
Soldiers went on a rampage, pillaging stores and shooting.
Synonyms
plunder,
strip,
sack,
rob,
raid,
spoil (archaic),
rifle,
loot,
ravage,
ransack,
despoil (formal),
maraud,
reive (dialect),
depredate (rare),
freeboot,
spoliate
in the sense of raid
Definition
to sneak into (a place) in order to steal
The guerrillas raided banks and destroyed a police barracks.
Synonyms
steal from,
break into,
loot,
plunder,
ransack,
pillage,
sack
in the sense of ravage
Definition
to cause extensive damage to
Drought ravaged the area.
Synonyms
destroy,
ruin,
devastate,
wreck,
shatter,
gut,
spoil,
loot,
demolish,
plunder,
desolate,
sack,
ransack,
pillage,
raze,
lay waste,
wreak havoc on,
despoil (formal),
leave in ruins
in the sense of rifle
Definition
to steal and carry off
The child rifled the till while her mother distracted the postmistress.
Synonyms
ransack,
rob,
burgle,
loot,
strip,
sack,
gut,
plunder,
pillage,
despoil (formal)
in the sense of sack
Definition
to plunder and partially destroy (a town or city)
Imperial troops sacked the French ambassador's residence in Rome.