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.
Other treasures on view include a charred 18th-century Torah scroll that survived the British ransacking of a synagogue, George Washington’s inaugural chair and Bible, and a New York printing of the Declaration of Independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
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
“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
Most of the ransacking took place on the night that charges against Dial were dismissed, although six arrests were made the following night.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2023
All night he had been ransacking his desk for his notes on the British monarch of legend, notes hurriedly copied from a hundred-page survey of British history that he had once read in paperback.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
