trawled; trawling; trawls
1
a
: to fish with a trawl
b
: to make a search as if by trawling
2
: to catch (fish) with a trawl
1
: a large conical net dragged along the sea bottom in gathering fish or other marine life
2
: setline
Examples of trawl in a Sentence
Verb
The boat trawled far out at sea.
a fishing boat trawling the ocean floor
He trawled the Internet looking for websites on growing grapes.
She was trawling through old letters for information about her family.
Recent Examples on the Web
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
One of Blake’s disciples was a young Welsh writer who arrived in London in the 1880s and took a job trawling through a garret full of old occult books, writing descriptions for a publisher’s catalogue.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
In November, multiple local news sources confirmed that Alaska State Troopers had raided a trawl group as part of a larger bycatch probe.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trawl
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Verb
That was the campaign promise, but the reality this past year has been far different with the obvious and well-documented fact that ICE has been trawling around arresting people based on looks or accents or location.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
One of Blake’s disciples was a young Welsh writer who arrived in London in the 1880s and took a job trawling through a garret full of old occult books, writing descriptions for a publisher’s catalogue.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
In recent years, the agency added an electrified dozer trawl designed specifically for carp removal, which stuns fish and collects them as boats move through infested waters.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
In November, multiple local news sources confirmed that Alaska State Troopers had raided a trawl group as part of a larger bycatch probe.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trawl
Cite this Entry
“Trawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trawl. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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