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

Relevance

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 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 Under Texas law, canvassing must happen before the results are made official. Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • The House Oversight Committee is interviewing high-level officials as part of its probe into Epstein and the federal government's handling of the Epstein investigation.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 7 May 2026
  • Letterman played the clip from Everybody’s in LA that found Mulaney interviewing Michael Jackson’s Bubbles the chimp.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • The open letter comes as EU Member states are discussing plans to combine funding for culture, media and civil society into a single pot.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
  • Board members had signed nondisclosure agreements barring them from discussing information related to the search, partly to protect candidates’ current employment.
    Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • The latest image is based on data from observing programme #3707, which focused on surveying massive, nearby galaxies that are actively forming stars, and with a goal of building a detailed dataset that can support a wide range of scientific studies.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
  • The show is a culinary guessing game, where bakers must decode and decipher what type of dessert was made after surveying small clues like crumbs and food trails.
    Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • The exchanges grew increasingly heated as Pratt repeatedly attacked Raman’s homelessness proposals, prompting Raman to accuse Pratt and Bass of focusing more on attacking her than debating one another.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 May 2026
  • The trial over Pitt's allegations of Jolie's breach of contract is scheduled to begin sometime in 2027, with Pitt and Jolie still debating on an exact start date.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors, meanwhile, have emphasized the importance of transparency, arguing that allowing cameras in the courtroom helps counter misinformation and ensures public trust in the proceedings.
    Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
  • Dong wrote articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and transparency in politics — views allowed to circulate freely in the past that are now taboo in China.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Canvassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canvassing. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on canvassing

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster