sought
verb
past tense and past participle of seek
1
: to resort to : go to
2
a
: to go in search of : look for
b
: to try to discover
3
: to ask for : request
seeks advice
4
: to try to acquire or gain : aim at
seek fame
5
: to make an attempt : try
—used with to and an infinitive
governments … seek to keep the bulk of their people contented—
D. M. Potter
D. M. Potter1
: to make a search or inquiry
2
a
: to be sought
b
: to be lacking
in critical judgment … they were sadly to seek—The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)Examples of sought in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The plan, put forward by infamous Nazi Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler, sought to take advantage of the natural migration patterns of storks to send Nazi propaganda leaflets from Germany to the Boers of South Africa.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Russia has in recent years sought to claim territory up to Greenland's Exclusive Economic Zone.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 24 Dec. 2024
While it has not been confirmed whether the dog was a service animal, others hit back at the frustrated passenger and sought to defend the rights of disabled travelers.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Bauman sought to divert funding Ald.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Government officials in both countries have since sought to cool things down.
—Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
To date, many of the actions taken by Washington have sought to target the most cutting-edge chips, in particular those used in the booming artificial intelligence sector.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Russia has in recent years sought to claim territory up to Greenland's Exclusive Economic Zone.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 24 Dec. 2024
While it has not been confirmed whether the dog was a service animal, others hit back at the frustrated passenger and sought to defend the rights of disabled travelers.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Bauman sought to divert funding Ald.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Government officials in both countries have since sought to cool things down.
—Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
To date, many of the actions taken by Washington have sought to target the most cutting-edge chips, in particular those used in the booming artificial intelligence sector.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sought. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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