canvassing

variants also canvasing
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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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 Gilchrest, meanwhile, has been spending money on digital advertising on Facebook as well as postcards and texting and continues to focus on canvassing. Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026 Detectives and crime scene investigators were at the scene Thursday, canvassing for witnesses and processing evidence. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 That had James canvassing potential landing spots, including the return to his hometown to play for the Cavaliers and a potential pairing with Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2026 But the Cubs, canvassing the entire market for starters, potentially could line up with the Los Angeles Angels for righty José Soriano or lefty Reid Detmers as well. Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Emery Sheriff’s job consists of standing outside and talking to people passing by, fundraising and canvassing for her company’s organization. Nicole Pilsbury, Baltimore Sun, 16 July 2026 Investigators were canvassing nearby businesses for surveillance footage because there was no body-camera video of the shooting itself. Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 Concern for homeless New Yorkers during heat wave New York City has deployed teams to begin citywide canvassing to identify people experiencing homelessness to get them into shelters or cooling centers to escape triple-digit temperatures. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Mamdani’s initiative, called Organize NYC, aims to keep the grassroots momentum of his campaign going by getting people to sign up for canvassing shifts across the five boroughs. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • Prior to their own discussion about shaving, Jones recalled interviewing Palmer on the show last month — and, yes, legs came up.
    Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Police were still interviewing witnesses and asked anyone with information to come forward in the wake of the shooting.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With a pretty 24-year-old brunette isolated in their quarantine quarters, Apollo 11’s astronauts Wednesday completed the 10-day task of discussing with experts the details of their moon-landing mission.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • But her colleagues were constantly discussing their latest stock trades.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Rolling out of the pocket and surveying the field for receivers, Marr got tangled up by her own ankles.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026
  • For example, in Argentina’s lithium-rich Jujuy Province, a research exchange between the two countries’ geological agencies grew into an explicit state partnership focused on surveying the province’s salt flats.
    Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This choice has left fans debating who or what is to blame if the movie is bad, or is not getting a big, splashy release.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Every hour spent debating where a model was built is an hour not spent building the controls that can stop this kind of incident from happening, regardless of its origin.
    Shlomo Kramer, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This opinion sparked debate in the online nutrition community, with some dietitians and nutritionists arguing that bananas should not be villainized based on a small body of research.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Prasad defended his decision by arguing that the company didn’t compare its mRNA vaccine’s efficacy to the correct existing vaccine.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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