ransack

verb

ran·​sack ˈran-ˌsak How to pronounce ransack (audio)
(ˌ)ran-ˈsak
ransacked; ransacking; ransacks

transitive verb

1
: to look through thoroughly in often a rough way
… he and 15 staff members watched agents ransack the office.Christian Caryl et al.
In desperation, I ransacked my refrigerator for something else to whip up.Dana Bowen
(figurative) Most novelists ransack their lives for that first novel; it might be called involuntary reporting.Tom Wolfe
2
: to search through and steal from in a forceful and damaging way : plunder
Thieves ransacked the house.
Louis XVI was persuaded to risk a navy far from its own shores and to ransack the French arsenals for arms and ammunition …C. P. Reynolds
ransacker noun

Did you know?

Ransack carries the image of a house being roughly disarranged, as might happen when you are frantically searching for something. This is appropriate given the word’s origin. Ransack comes, via Middle English, from the Old Norse word rannsaka: the rann in rannsaka means “house”; the second half of rannsaka is what is known as an “ablaut” variant of sœkja, meaning “to seek, search out.” But our modern use of the word isn’t restricted to houses. You can ransack a drawer, a suitcase, or even (by hurriedly looking through it) the contents of a book. Ransack also inspired another English word related to disorder and unsteadiness. A now-obsolete form of ransack, ransackle, gave us our adjective ramshackle, meaning “rickety” or “carelessly or loosely constructed.”

Examples of ransack in a Sentence

Robbers ransacked the apartment looking for money. The room had been ransacked.
Recent Examples on the Web The house appeared to be ransacked, and electronics were taken. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Once inside, the burglars ransack the homes, carrying off cash, jewelry, even safes. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 At the time of the incident, a distressed female condo resident made a 911 call and told dispatchers that a man had entered her residence and began ransacking her things, The New York Times reported. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 An elderly man told me that, a few days after October 7th, Moshe had beaten him, ransacked his home, and told him to leave. Shane Bauer, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 California Young teen accused of ramming car into Ruben’s Bakery before mob ransacked it Jan. 24, 2024 A few minutes later, both suspects allegedly left the business carrying multiple bags. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 California Ruben’s Bakery survived pandemic and riot only to be ransacked during a street takeover Jan. 5, 2024 Three weeks after Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food was looted, four people were shot — none fatally — at a takeover at Alondra Boulevard and Central Avenue. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 On May 9, PTI supporters ransacked military premises in response to an earlier, fleeting arrest of Khan. TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 Police said three suspects wrote hate graffiti on the walls and ransacked several classrooms. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ransack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka, from rann house + -saka (akin to Old English sēcan to seek) — more at seek

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ransack was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near ransack

Cite this Entry

“Ransack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ransack. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ransack

verb
ran·​sack ˈran-ˌsak How to pronounce ransack (audio)
(ˈ)ran-ˈsak
1
: to search thoroughly
2
: to search through in order to rob
ransacker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ransack

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