Meaning & use

ransack

verb·Advanced

To search a place thoroughly and roughly, often leaving it in disorder, typically to steal something.

See it in a sentence

Thieves ransacked the office overnight, leaving papers and drawers scattered everywhere.

She ransacked her closet looking for the shoes she needed for the interview.

A note on using this word

Ransack often implies violence, urgency, and disorder, unlike the calmer search or rummage.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “ransack”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.