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 By sunrise, the normally crowded stretch of West Sixth Street had been transformed into an expansive crime scene, with investigators collecting shell casings, canvassing nearby businesses for surveillance footage and interviewing patrons and witnesses who had fled the gunfire. Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026 Detectives were canvassing the area and were going door to door in the neighborhood. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026 Officers began canvassing the area the next day and went to the Walmart closest to the scene, where employees identified and provided them with a receipt that matched some of the items found at the scene, according to the affidavit. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026 Sakai, who spent $196,000, did not report spending any money on canvassing. Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Feb. 2026 Detectives have been canvassing gun shops across the Tucson area, showing the doorbell video to see if anyone recognizes it. Luke Barr, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026 The incident happened in Crofton as a volunteer for Councilman Pete Smith was canvassing in a neighborhood. Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026 Authorities are also canvassing gun shops, showing the video released by the FBI to see if anyone recognizes him, according to the sheriff’s department. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026 Investigators canvassing the scene also allegedly found a gas can in the area and a black iPhone, the warrant affidavit said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canvassing
Verb
  • The investigation intensifies Authorities continued interviewing the teenagers and examining digital evidence.
    Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Police are interviewing more than 150 witnesses after gunfire erupted in Austin's entertainment district, sending crowds running and prompting officers to return fire.
    Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • While discussing the current compensation system in college sports, the president went on a tirade against the Supreme Court for unanimously ruling against the NCAA’s restrictions on noncash compensation for college athletes in 2021.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 7 Mar. 2026
  • In footage played in court showing the women following an unmarked vehicle, they can be heard discussing their plan to observe an ICE raid.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Seasons in the Hindu Kush—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,2009–11, has the spectator stand above crushed pots as if surveying terrain from above—the godlike perspective of the Mercator projection, where mountains become miniature and geography flattens into a navigable surface.
    Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
  • To account for increasing interest in the prospect of a new community center, a club at Los Gatos High School was formed to help inform and mobilize their peers and help with the foundation’s surveying efforts and workshops.
    Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • For groups debating between multiple post-match options, the convenience factor here stacks up well.
    Taylor Haught, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
  • When Joe Carter connected off the Philadelphia Phillies’ Mitch Williams with the clinching home run, Gaston was studying a stat sheet, debating whether to use Darnell Coles to bat for Alfredo Griffin, the light-hitting, 36-year-old infielder on deck.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Some residents and community groups say conditions around MacArthur Park remain far from resolved, arguing that drug activity and safety concerns persist despite recent enforcement and outreach efforts.
    Teresa Liu, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Citadel Securities published a blistering takedown of the Citrini essay, noting, for instance, that demand for software engineers is up 11% year over year, and more broadly arguing that productivity shocks have historically expanded output and raised real incomes.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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