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 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 By the afternoon, several people who appeared to be law enforcement agents were canvassing the neighborhood, with one wearing an FBI sweatshirt. Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 By the afternoon, several people who appeared to be law enforcement agents were canvassing the neighborhood, with one wearing an FBI sweatshirt. ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 Over the next two days, officers and personnel from the medical examiner’s office conducted an extensive search, canvassing the area with cadaver dogs, which identified the possible presence of additional remains near a drainage pipe. Hanna Park, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 The group has been canvassing neighborhoods and manned information booths at the local farmers’ market. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 At the time, police canvassing the area found a Glock 45 in a yard near where the shooting occurred. Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026 The ensuing investigation included interviewing witnesses, canvassing for evidence and examining surveillance video, police said. Austin Turner, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • And even after breaking into the shooter’s phone and computer and interviewing friends and family, investigators have not been able to determine a clear motive or political ideology.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Police said the arrest came after a daylong investigation that included interviewing witnesses, canvassing the neighborhood and reviewing surveillance video.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • For the second time this week, the state Senate spent hours discussing complicated technology legislation, with lawmakers once again advancing a bill over strong objections that regulating rapidly changing technology could negatively affect local businesses.
    P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
  • At the start of the episode, the Awards Circuit Roundtable is back — and discussing some of the biggest Emmy news, including how submissions are down and what that will mean for this year’s race.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Reynders and Amy Franco from the Hillside Public Library have been surveying other libraries in recent months and learned several are still waiting for 2024 tax year distributions.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The National Weather Service is still surveying the damage done and will have a report in the upcoming days.
    Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Idaho lawmakers spent hours debating a surge in rodents menacing Boise-area gardens and kitchens and threatening agriculture and public health.
    Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The hoods might just as well evoke the garb of Christian monks debating whether the soul is distinct from the body.
    Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Video obtained by The News shows the victim arguing with the dog owner when a woman in red storms up and starts swinging.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The West Texas project recently received the largest air pollution permit ever granted in the US, while Musk’s Memphis project has faced multiple lawsuits arguing the gas turbines are worsening air quality in historically Black communities.
    Mark Chediak, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

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