ransack
Americanverb (used with object)
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to search thoroughly or vigorously through (a house, receptacle, etc.).
They ransacked the house for the missing letter.
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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
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have been ransackingperfect progressive
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has been ransackingperfect progressive
Past
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ransackedsimple
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had ransackedperfect
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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.
I just hope you didn’t ransack your college-savings account to do it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
He also has Killian ransack his house to an aria from Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Samson & Delilah,” a reference that only half-works because no woman in here has ever betrayed him.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025
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
I didn’t trust Regina and Rosa not to ransack the apartment while we were gone.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
