ransack
Americanverb (used with object)
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ransacks,
present (3rd person singular)
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ransacked,
past participle, past
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ransacking
present participle
-
to search thoroughly or vigorously through (a house, receptacle, etc.).
They ransacked the house for the missing letter.
-
to search through for plunder; pillage.
The enemy ransacked the entire town.
verb
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to search through every part of (a house, box, etc); examine thoroughly
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to plunder; pillage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ransacksimple
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ransackssimple
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have ransackedperfect
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has ransackedperfect
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am ransackingprogressive
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are ransackingprogressive
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is ransackingprogressive
-
have been ransackingperfect progressive
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has been ransackingperfect progressive
Past
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ransackedsimple
-
had ransackedperfect
-
was ransackingprogressive
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were ransackingprogressive
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had been ransackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ransack
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka “to search, examine (for evidence of crime),” equivalent to rann “house” + saka, variant of sœkja “to search;” see seek)
Explanation
When you ransack, you rifle through things, steal some of them, and leave a huge mess behind. If neighborhood dogs got into a cupcake shop, they would probably ransack it. You can use the verb ransack to describe a careful search — you might ransack your backpack looking for your car keys, for example. Marauding armies, feral cats, burglars, and other troublemakers are often described as ransacking towns, rooms, gardens, or shops, especially if they take things and leave disarray in their wake. The word ransack comes from the Old Norse rannsaka, which has a similar meaning but is literally "search the house."
Vocabulary lists containing ransack
The Diary of Anne Frank
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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English Words Derived from Old Norse
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I just hope you didn’t ransack your college-savings account to do it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Overton’s 32 from 21 balls and Archer’s 17-ball 38 helped the visitors ransack 100 in the last 10 overs, including 21 off the final over.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2024
By that he meant the way representatives from other schools would surely try to lure his players away, using lucrative NIL offers to ransack his team through the transfer portal.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
Thursday’s announcement that Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp. prompted news organizations the world over to ransack the obituaries they have been keeping in their vaults.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
“Did the light-fingered gentleman ransack the cellars?” the other repeated.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
McEwan ransacks recent U.K. history, telescoping its events into a demented counter-factual fantasia marked by insurrection and overflowing garbage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2019
That can be useful when scientists or wildlife managers must relocate an animal, such as a grizzly bear that ransacks campsites for food.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 13, 2019
During a peaceful evening at church, someone ransacks the family home and steals their beloved dog.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2018
In “A Reason to Apologize to Friends,” Galchen tells a story about a cabinet that her pre-verbal, not yet walking daughter joyfully ransacks and that she is left to tediously straighten, over and over.
From Slate ● May 4, 2016
He looks suspiciously around him, turns over his pillows, and ransacks his bedclothes for some fancied object he supposes to be concealed there.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10 "David, St" to "Demidov" by Various
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools had been "burned and ransacked" since the start of the protests.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Roebuck further discovered that his workshop had been ransacked.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
He said he was unaware that the interpreter regularly ransacked his bank account for more than two years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Pharmacies, supermarkets and other businesses were ransacked, said residents, some of whom complained of the slow and meager post-quake aid coming from authorities.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
An Yi came in, leaned against a chest, and looked around the ransacked room.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
The pontiff responded by saying he had a "moral duty to speak out" against war -- and then sparked more headlines with a speech in Cameroon lambasting "tyrants" ransacking the world.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
The World Cup feels like a competition to soak soccer fans, writes columnist Jason Gay, accusing NJ Transit of following FIFA’s ransacking lead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
On 13 July 2022, in dramatic scenes that were broadcast around the world, crowds overran the presidential palace, jumping into the swimming pool and ransacking the house.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2024
“When people started to see the video” showing the ransacking of the Compton bakery, “they were so offended that we started to get a lot of tips,” Luna said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
He is three or four stories below, ransacking one of the rooms; she hears what sounds like a crate of ball bearings get dumped onto the floor.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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