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

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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 The two have instead focused more on canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts. Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 17 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 Detectives were canvassing the scene overnight for witnesses and were talking to people at the scene when officers arrived. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026 Police were seen canvassing the area on Tuesday, talking to neighbors. Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 16 June 2026 Police used drones to search the woods to no avail on Friday, and officers were back canvassing the area on Monday. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • Despite the access, Taylor did have a unique challenge in interviewing his subject for the documentary.
    William Earl, Variety, 14 July 2026
  • Investigators detained the man's co-workers and were interviewing them about the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • The new rule will still allow courses discussing DEI and CRT to be taught, but they can’t be required for graduation.
    Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Bhasin helped write the Endocrine Society’s current guidelines for testosterone, which recommend discussing testosterone with men who have documented symptoms and two blood test results confirming low hormone levels.
    Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • Leo tells me, surveying the horrific damage that people ask him to dig in the mud for their photos, their keepsakes, not their TVs or appliances.
    Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • Archaeologists surveying the area in 2020 came across human bones protruding from the ground.
    Allen Breed, Fortune, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • For an industry that has spent decades debating how to portray disability authentically, that shift in who holds the microphone may turn out to be the more consequential story.
    Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • No debating whether to grab a hot dog now or wait until the seventh inning.
    Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • Earlier on Thursday, Paramount filed its opposition, arguing that the states are unlikely to prevail on their case and should not be granted a restraining order.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • In 2013, the Surfrider Foundation sued Khosla’s LLCs, arguing that the Coastal Act required them to obtain a permit before restricting public access to the beach.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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