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
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025
Tennessee authorities announced Saturday that no survivors have been recovered from a massive explosion at a rural manufacturing plant a day earlier after more than 300 investigators combed through the blast site.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Here, Swift’s hair is pinned in a half up, half down style, with bangs combed every which way.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
In the hair department, the Skims founder kept things simple, with her pixie style combed forward and her wispy bangs falling neatly over her face.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Families of the trapped -- who are said to be mostly teenage boys -- waited anxiously for news as rescue teams combed through twisted debris and slabs of concrete to find 38 students and workers who were still missing.
—Britt Clennett, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
The network then reportedly combed through additional archives in search of any other relevant recordings.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Some people combed the beach to find debris.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Health spoke to skin and food experts and combed through the research to see what science actually says about caffeine’s impact on aging, both inside and out.
—Laura Schober, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The group combed through publicly available records to map out a network that captured the personal and professional relationships among the College of Cardinals (the senior clergy members who serve as both voters and candidates for the papacy).
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025
Tennessee authorities announced Saturday that no survivors have been recovered from a massive explosion at a rural manufacturing plant a day earlier after more than 300 investigators combed through the blast site.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Here, Swift’s hair is pinned in a half up, half down style, with bangs combed every which way.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
In the hair department, the Skims founder kept things simple, with her pixie style combed forward and her wispy bangs falling neatly over her face.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Families of the trapped -- who are said to be mostly teenage boys -- waited anxiously for news as rescue teams combed through twisted debris and slabs of concrete to find 38 students and workers who were still missing.
—Britt Clennett, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
The network then reportedly combed through additional archives in search of any other relevant recordings.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Some people combed the beach to find debris.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Health spoke to skin and food experts and combed through the research to see what science actually says about caffeine’s impact on aging, both inside and out.
—Laura Schober, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combed
Verb
-
Lake Worth police officers and animal control officers searched the area to find the suspect and the brown pit bull but were unsuccessful, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Salee and Sprinker's bodies were found weighted down in a nearby river in May 1969, the same month Brudos' home was searched following a tip from a college student.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand, Grindelwald-Wengen, with 64 miles of groomed runs, is the largest ski area in the Jungfrau Region.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The renowned adventure travel outfitter Eleven runs two exclusive lodges in the former mining town of Crested Butte (Scarp Ridge Lodge and Sopris House) and offers such adventures as fat-tire biking on groomed trails and snowshoeing through aspen glades.—
Nicholas DeRenzo,
AFAR Media,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On the fashion front, Schumacher, which was founded in New York by Parisian Frederic Schumacher in 1889, has been a pioneer in collaborations from its dawn.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
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The firm, which was founded in 2022, will utilize the funding to begin serial turbine production, refine its AI control algorithms, and develop next-generation models for diverse environments.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her correspondence with these men was meticulous — and Belle set the terms.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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But Steinman lacked the meticulous attention to detail they had been conditioned to demand by Lange, going so far as to accept an out-of-tune warm-up take.—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For foreigners, passports are scanned at hotels, museums, and similar places.—
Peter Leyden,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Helicopters scanned the woods while locals conducted foot searches.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rather, the Penguins will be very careful with both of their teenagers.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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And to find or develop a future CEO takes careful planning and grooming, considering today’s massive disruptions like tariff impacts and the expansive growth of AI.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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