rifle through
idiom
: to search through something quickly and carelessly often in order to take or steal something
He rifled through the papers on his desk.
Examples of rifle through in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Looting trucks and warehouses at gunpoint, the gangs often rifle through and discard humanitarian aid in search of cigarettes.
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Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
Chatbots can’t see your calendar, peer into your email inbox or rifle through your online shopping history — the kinds of information an A.I. assistant would need in order to give you the best possible help with your daily tasks.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
After a few visits, Mr. Lewis could rifle through Mr. Bankman-Fried’s desk without anyone blinking.
—Christopher Beam, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The holster grants easy access to them, so there’s no need to rifle through a full backpack to find them in the case of an emergency.
—Tom Price, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for rifle through 
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
Chatbots can’t see your calendar, peer into your email inbox or rifle through your online shopping history — the kinds of information an A.I. assistant would need in order to give you the best possible help with your daily tasks.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023
After a few visits, Mr. Lewis could rifle through Mr. Bankman-Fried’s desk without anyone blinking.
—Christopher Beam, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The holster grants easy access to them, so there’s no need to rifle through a full backpack to find them in the case of an emergency.
—Tom Price, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for rifle through
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rifle through.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Rifle through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle%20through. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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