scavenger hunt

noun

: a game in which players try to acquire without buying specified items within a time limit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Businesses had flung open their doors to shoppers and children on a city-run scavenger hunt for the San Rafael Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland festival. Julie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Nov. 2022 The event is family friendly with a scavenger hunt for young and old alike. Sam Boyer, cleveland, 30 Sep. 2022 The company couldn’t find enough land, workers were scarce, lumber prices were exploding, and the faltering supply chain turned the search for everything from dishwashers to garage doors into a kind of corporate scavenger hunt. New York Times, 23 July 2022 Time Out Miami got on board, turning the exhibit into a scavenger hunt for readers. Eleni Gage, Town & Country, 8 July 2022 The physical act of finding the artwork is crucial to the project, said artist Andrew Scott, whose work, Tree Spirit, is the boon of the first scavenger hunt. Dallas News, 8 July 2022 With the Utah Arts Festival underway in downtown Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Tribune is encouraging people attending the festival to explore the Artists Marketplace by way of a scavenger hunt. The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 June 2022 Have the kids plan a scavenger hunt for mom, and send her around the house hunting for clues. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2022 In the spirit of bringing back beloved Washington Post traditions like the Peep diorama contest, TikTok user @acirehtote made a strong case for the return of The Post scavenger hunt. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scavenger hunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scavenger hunt was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near scavenger hunt

Cite this Entry

“Scavenger hunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scavenger%20hunt. Accessed 2 Apr. 2023.

Kids Definition

scavenger hunt

noun
: a party contest in which players are sent out usually in pairs to obtain without buying unusual objects within a fixed length of time

More from Merriam-Webster on scavenger hunt

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