as in searched
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in groomed
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Recent Examples of combed
Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Even better, the researchers at GreenLight Biosciences combed through bioinformatic databases to find just the right gene to disrupt to avoid collateral damage to honeybees and other harmless species.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
Last year, Winter combed through the archives and picked out his favorite moments from four decades of solstice celebrations.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Researchers and journalists combed through the videos and identified 288 people — including seven women and 12 children — who were killed.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The 4-layer coverlet is made of 100% combed cotton.
—Terri Williams, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Since then, groups in the Netherlands and Belgium have combed through medical records to examine outcomes of pregnant patients with these types of abnormal results.
—Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 4 Dec. 2024
Think tanks the Health Foundation and the Nuffield Trust combed through official waiting time data for emergency and planned care, as well as a government survey on hospital waits, to find out who was being worst affected by delays.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
In central Beirut, rescue workers Friday combed through the rubble of a collapsed building, searching for survivors of an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens in the Lebanese capital the night before.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Diamant and Kafka combed the park for it to no avail.
—Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Even better, the researchers at GreenLight Biosciences combed through bioinformatic databases to find just the right gene to disrupt to avoid collateral damage to honeybees and other harmless species.
—Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
Last year, Winter combed through the archives and picked out his favorite moments from four decades of solstice celebrations.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Researchers and journalists combed through the videos and identified 288 people — including seven women and 12 children — who were killed.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The 4-layer coverlet is made of 100% combed cotton.
—Terri Williams, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Since then, groups in the Netherlands and Belgium have combed through medical records to examine outcomes of pregnant patients with these types of abnormal results.
—Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 4 Dec. 2024
Think tanks the Health Foundation and the Nuffield Trust combed through official waiting time data for emergency and planned care, as well as a government survey on hospital waits, to find out who was being worst affected by delays.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
In central Beirut, rescue workers Friday combed through the rubble of a collapsed building, searching for survivors of an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens in the Lebanese capital the night before.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combed
Verb
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After recapturing Jerusalem’s Holy Temple, which had been converted into a place of idol worship, the website says, the Maccabees searched for pure oil with which to light the Temple menorah.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Dec. 2024
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And yet, despite accepting the reality of the injury and what lies ahead of him, Moe Wagner searched for the good in the situation while keeping a smile on his face Monday.—
Jason Beede,
Orlando Sentinel,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Finding community after tragedy Hot and Holy is yet another group of young adults with a mission of combining tradition and fun, founded by 28-year-olds Nicole Lefkowitz and Sydney Lorch.—
Sophie Liza Cannon,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, appears to be planning a Starlink satellite deployment mission in the days ahead from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The indoor park quickly won praise for its meticulous attention to detail and immersive theming.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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From Harlem to the south of France, this is a meticulous and beautifully told history of the visionary writer and thinker.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Be careful not to break the stems on flowers like cosmos or coneflowers because a bent stem won't provide water to the bloom.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
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Bright Outlook Defies Expert Predictions In their respective interviews, both Woods and Wirth were careful to point out that their partnering with each other in Guyana is nothing unique or even unusual.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combed. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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