as in to search
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
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Recent Examples of scour
When weekends rolled around, Schomburg rode the subway to Brooklyn with Charles Martin, a Moravian minister from Saint Kitts, to scour second-hand shops.
—
Laura E. Helton, Literary Hub, 20 Apr. 2026
Sitting in a tired-looking office painted in beige and brown, al-Abidin said his agency dispatched forensic experts along with officials from Civil Defense, the Sudanese Red Crescent and neighborhood committees in July to scour parts of the capital for hundreds of mass graves.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Once fully soaked, clean the racks with a scouring pad, rinse, and dry thoroughly before replacing.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 12 Apr. 2026
For the next 14 years, mosque leaders scoured Vacaville for a larger space.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scour
Laura E. Helton, Literary Hub, 20 Apr. 2026
Sitting in a tired-looking office painted in beige and brown, al-Abidin said his agency dispatched forensic experts along with officials from Civil Defense, the Sudanese Red Crescent and neighborhood committees in July to scour parts of the capital for hundreds of mass graves.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Once fully soaked, clean the racks with a scouring pad, rinse, and dry thoroughly before replacing.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 12 Apr. 2026
For the next 14 years, mosque leaders scoured Vacaville for a larger space.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scour
Verb
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Folks can read more about end-of-life doula training and practices, and search a directory, on the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance website.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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Los Angeles Police Department officers are searching for two burglary suspects who allegedly broke into a Westwood home, stealing jewelry and designer handbags.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Arttu Hyry has been terrific since entering the lineup for Game 2, but his third line hasn’t found the back of the net.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Ease off the accelerator - Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scour. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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