SCOURING Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

scouring

verb

Definition of scouring

present participle of scour

as in searching

to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something the police scoured the city for the Typhoid Mary of this latest epidemic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scouring There’s nothing like the thrill of scouring thrift store racks, not just for rare treasures but for everyday staples like clothing and housewares. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 As support for Israel becomes more and more polarizing in elections everywhere, the nation’s leaders are scouring the world for allies. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 Police and other local authorities spent hours scouring the home and the surrounding area, trying to reconstruct the moments leading up to the deaths of the two men. — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026 With the earnings season underway, investors scouring through financial results looking for clues to companies’ growth outlook. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 Without it, we are reduced to scouring the corners of the internet for the best solutions. — Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 Emergency crews on the ground and in helicopters are scouring the Karakoram mountain range for the 10 climbers, including one American, who are believed to be have been on 8,047-meter-tall Broad Peak when an avalanche struck around midday Thursday. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 After scouring recent and archival shopping coverage in The Times, and seeking recommendations from Styles reporters, editors and contributors, nearly 90 stores across the five boroughs emerged as contenders. — New York Times, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scouring

Verb

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is searching for the driver accused of intentionally crashing into a group of adults and kids playing basketball on a Victorville street yesterday.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
When a movie becomes a cultural event, millions of people start searching for it.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of searching

Verb

The videos show search crews combing the Pentagon's charred corridors, and interviews with firefighters working to contain the disaster.

— Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Hiring a researcher, Rice began investigating, speaking with people from McDonnell’s past and combing through archival records.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of combing

Browse Nearby Words

scourging

scouring

scour(s)

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“Scouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scouring. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of scouring

verb

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