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 In August, more than 60 supporters attended the group’s canvassing kickoff event at Wilson Park. Sanestina Hunter, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2026 Animal Care and Control officers are canvassing the area in an effort to determine who owns them. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026 Detectives are also canvassing nearby businesses for surveillance footage that may help identify the shooter. Abby Dodge, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 The coalition has been canvassing the state, visiting churches, grocery stores and neighborhoods to talk to residents about the issue and gathering 3,500 signatures to present to lawmakers in hopes of inspiring legislative change. Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • Does the ingredient list look promising, based on our collective decades spent interviewing chemists about the difference between capable ingredients and frivolous ones?
    Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Times examined the county’s restraining order process, compiling data from hundreds of thousands of cases, and interviewing dozens of domestic abuse and harassment victims, attorneys and victim service providers.
    Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Executives at the studio are now discussing internally how to deal with what’s become a political football, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Giada De Laurentiis also broke down when discussing how her daughter, Jade, pushed her to join the show.
    Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Video showed civil defense crews surveying the wreckage and using bulldozers to dig people out, including children.
    CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Dart ran the offense while surveying the defense from the shotgun.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space in 2012, although scientists are still debating about exactly where that boundary lies.
    Tariq Malik, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Schrader approaches some pretty tetchy, third-rail territory, doing some debating about whether one act of child abuse means that John is, inherently, a child abuser by nature.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Ohanian said the debate around AI should focus on substantive risks rather than issues that can be used to score political points, arguing that an informed public is essential to navigating the technology.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The state attorney general's office asked the high court to let the execution proceed, arguing nothing precludes the switch to lethal injection.
    CBS News, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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