as in searching
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 combing
Use marabou jigs, jigs tipped with one- to two-inch minnows and spoons for combing these deeper areas.
—
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
While combing through coral, Harasti spotted a unique and wholly unfamiliar creature swimming through the water.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026
For some subjects, that means combing an archive.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Davis said that investigators will then begin combing through video footage from traffic cameras as well as from security cameras at private businesses and residences.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Already, more than 80% of physicians are using AI tools, according to a recent survey published by the American Medical Association, mostly for lower stakes use cases like combing through medical research and documentation.
—John Kell, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The Moroccan Navy released video Wednesday showing military divers examining caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface and teams of uniformed personnel and canine crews combing the rocky shoreline.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
The Moroccan navy released video Wednesday showing military divers examining caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface and teams of uniformed personnel and canine crews combing the rocky shoreline.
—Akram Oubachir, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The day after a man opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, authorities are combing through a message sent by the shooting suspect, seeking to understand what allegedly led him from his life as a respected California teacher to a would-be assassin.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
While combing through coral, Harasti spotted a unique and wholly unfamiliar creature swimming through the water.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026
For some subjects, that means combing an archive.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Davis said that investigators will then begin combing through video footage from traffic cameras as well as from security cameras at private businesses and residences.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Already, more than 80% of physicians are using AI tools, according to a recent survey published by the American Medical Association, mostly for lower stakes use cases like combing through medical research and documentation.
—John Kell, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The Moroccan Navy released video Wednesday showing military divers examining caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface and teams of uniformed personnel and canine crews combing the rocky shoreline.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
The Moroccan navy released video Wednesday showing military divers examining caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface and teams of uniformed personnel and canine crews combing the rocky shoreline.
—Akram Oubachir, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The day after a man opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, authorities are combing through a message sent by the shooting suspect, seeking to understand what allegedly led him from his life as a respected California teacher to a would-be assassin.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combing
searching
Verb
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As police were searching for a suspect inside the Islamic center, dispatchers got calls that a landscaper may have been shot at blocks away, Wahl said.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
-
This was not an adequate explanation, and the woman was now looking back over her shoulder, as if searching for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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