as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
combed the library for the missing book
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Recent Examples of comb
Mandell also said Baccarelli’s review did not comb through nearly as many papers as the new analysis did.
—
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
Petro sat in a favorite leather armchair, dressed comfortably in sneakers, slacks, and a white cardigan; a female assistant was combing his hair.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
Historical researcher Segtnan came across the 1948 murder of a 9-year-old girl, Birgitta Sivander, while combing newspaper archives.
—Rebecca Hannigan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Detectives spent the next weeks combing city cameras, which captured Gutierrez walking behind the man before the attack and running away after, the report said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comb
Aria Bendix, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
Petro sat in a favorite leather armchair, dressed comfortably in sneakers, slacks, and a white cardigan; a female assistant was combing his hair.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
Historical researcher Segtnan came across the 1948 murder of a 9-year-old girl, Birgitta Sivander, while combing newspaper archives.
—Rebecca Hannigan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Detectives spent the next weeks combing city cameras, which captured Gutierrez walking behind the man before the attack and running away after, the report said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comb
Verb
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There’s an urge to reconnect with our heritage, and people are undertaking ancestry pilgrimages, combining boots-on-the-ground investigation into family trees and searching for documents in town halls, with discovering the places our ancestors used to call home.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching).—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That’s in contrast to prior generations where players would immediately jump to enter the draft to rake millions if they were given a high draft grade.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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After adding mulch, rake it into an even layer.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Excavators digging at Sizewell C found 321 silver coins last year, dating back between 1036 and 1044.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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These recommendations are based, in part, on studies that have found higher relapse rates among those who stop taking the medication versus those who do not.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comb. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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