fine-tooth comb
noun
1
: a comb with close-set teeth used especially for clearing parasites or foreign matter from the hair
2
: an attitude or system of thorough searching or scrutinizing
went over the report with a fine-tooth comb
Examples of fine-tooth comb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tame flyaways with an edge-control brush or a fine-tooth comb and some styling pomade.
—
Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 12 June 2026
However, under a fine-tooth comb, the usefulness of the tools was stuck at 50% to 60%.
—Praful Saklani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Follow the example of Sylvia Meagher, a divorcée who spent much of 1965 making an index for the twenty-six supplementary volumes of the Warren Report from her West Village apartment, taking a fine-tooth comb to eighteen thousand pages of hearings and exhibits about the JFK assassination.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Mira began absent-mindedly rolling and unrolling a fine-tooth comb through her curls.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In some cases, overusing a fine-tooth comb could even backfire.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2026
After all, bankruptcy trustees and courts scrutinize recent credit card activity with a fine-tooth comb, looking for signs of fraud or abuse.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Grab a boar bristle hairbrush or a fine-tooth comb and get scrolling.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2026
This documentary is giving me a chance to go down memory lane with a fine-tooth comb, reexamining the highs and lows of my life and career.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
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Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 12 June 2026
However, under a fine-tooth comb, the usefulness of the tools was stuck at 50% to 60%.
—Praful Saklani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Follow the example of Sylvia Meagher, a divorcée who spent much of 1965 making an index for the twenty-six supplementary volumes of the Warren Report from her West Village apartment, taking a fine-tooth comb to eighteen thousand pages of hearings and exhibits about the JFK assassination.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Mira began absent-mindedly rolling and unrolling a fine-tooth comb through her curls.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In some cases, overusing a fine-tooth comb could even backfire.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2026
After all, bankruptcy trustees and courts scrutinize recent credit card activity with a fine-tooth comb, looking for signs of fraud or abuse.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Grab a boar bristle hairbrush or a fine-tooth comb and get scrolling.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2026
This documentary is giving me a chance to go down memory lane with a fine-tooth comb, reexamining the highs and lows of my life and career.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fine-tooth comb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine-tooth%20comb. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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