ransack
verb (used with object)
to search thoroughly or vigorously through (a house, receptacle, etc.).
ransacking
-
present participleof ransack.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
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 elephants, after ransacking her house and eating her corn, urinated on what remained of her grain supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 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
Five suspects, including one juvenile, have been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 2 ransacking of Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Tuesday.
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
