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
Will is basically subbing Katie in for Sylvia, consulting her for help in combing through Terry’s Instagram to look for clues that something is going on with Jenna.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The next morning, Day 5, the skies cleared and the 112 searchers combing the mountain that day postholed through as much as 18 inches of fresh powder.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
Investigators spent the summer combing the wilderness of the Washington Cascades for Travis Decker – the man thought to have killed his three young daughters at a campground at the end of May.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Michael VanEtten, 46, has been combing Florida rivers and streams for fossils most of his life.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Authorities are combing through video from the scene, including this video which appears to show a person on the roof immediately following the shooting, according to sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
Without federal and local standards on how to deal with contaminants like arsenic and the carcinogen benzene, dozens of researchers and private specialists are combing through yards and homes, work that goes beyond authorities’ post-fire testing.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
Less than two weeks later, a DOGE task force arrived in Bradenton for a two-day visit, combing through files and interviewing staff.
—Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Already combing through cherry pie recipes?
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The next morning, Day 5, the skies cleared and the 112 searchers combing the mountain that day postholed through as much as 18 inches of fresh powder.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
Investigators spent the summer combing the wilderness of the Washington Cascades for Travis Decker – the man thought to have killed his three young daughters at a campground at the end of May.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Michael VanEtten, 46, has been combing Florida rivers and streams for fossils most of his life.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Authorities are combing through video from the scene, including this video which appears to show a person on the roof immediately following the shooting, according to sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
Without federal and local standards on how to deal with contaminants like arsenic and the carcinogen benzene, dozens of researchers and private specialists are combing through yards and homes, work that goes beyond authorities’ post-fire testing.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
Less than two weeks later, a DOGE task force arrived in Bradenton for a two-day visit, combing through files and interviewing staff.
—Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Already combing through cherry pie recipes?
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combing
searching
Verb
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In the Atacama Desert, a young woman dreams of becoming an astronaut while investigating her mother’s mysterious death and searching for the father who abandoned her.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
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The location was one of several that the company explored when searching for a spot in the city.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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