canvassing

variants also canvasing
Definition of canvassingnext
present participle of canvass
1
as in interviewing
to go around and approach (people) with a request for opinions or information we canvassed people all over town, asking if they would be interested in participating in a recycling program

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of canvassing The founder of AdHoc Group Against Crime was there in the days following the child’s death, searching the neighborhood for clues and canvassing the area for potential witnesses. Caroline Zimmerman may 18, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026 After canvassing the area, deputies distributed a BOLO with Jansen’s description to law-enforcement units nearby. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 16 May 2026 Rather than holding a mass rally, the Saturday before primary day could be better spent phone banking, canvassing and educating voters about what's happened, Hardy added. Sarah Clifton, USA Today, 16 May 2026 Two employees from a Front Range political canvassing company are charged with forging signatures on petitions used to get a Colorado school choice amendment on the 2024 general election ballot, the state attorney general's office said. Denver Post, 15 May 2026 During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge. Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge. Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026 Instead, as Quick reported, Dundon has already been canvassing the basketball world for Splitter’s possible replacement while clearly not caring about the awful optics. Sam Amick, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 Beyond protesting, the Wide Awakes were involved in canvassing for Democrats during Georgia’s 2021 election cycle. Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • Officers were interviewing her when the first reports of the active shooting occurred.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
  • The Vikings have tabbed Denver’s assistant general manager for a second round of interviews, after first interviewing Burckhardt virtually last week.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Verb
  • Consumers have more fragrance information at their disposal today via platforms like TikTok and Reddit, where creators and users as young as pre-teens are discussing concepts that would have only been spoken about among enthusiasts in the past.
    Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
  • Bass has mostly avoided discussing him and taking him seriously, despite his performance in the polls and his ability to garner high-profile supporters like Haim Saban, Brian Grazer and Nicole Avant.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • The device was discovered Wednesday by divers surveying the Converse Reservoir dam in Mobile County for routine repair and maintenance, prompting a notification to the sheriff’s office and a multi-agency response, including the FBI, according to the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS).
    Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
  • Researchers spent three weeks surveying the area and collected specimens of the fish now known as Solenostomus snuffleupagus.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Their days are spent swimming in the lake, picnicking by the beach and debating poetry and literature.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
  • One scene shows the crew in a garage deconstructing a surfboard and passionately debating where the fins should go.
    Antonio Ferme, Variety, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • In a letter to Knudsen, the Mid-North Association also directly opposed the athletic lighting plan, arguing that field lights do not belong in a residential neighborhood and would disturb community members’ lives, including by increasing traffic in the area.
    Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
  • Trump spent months criticizing Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, for being reluctant to cut interests rates, with the Republican president arguing that lower borrowing costs would provide an economic boost.
    Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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