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
Already combing through cherry pie recipes?
—
Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
On BookTok, Hoover was so heavily recommended from 2020 to 2024 that combing her books for the most unrealistic dialogue and character decisions became a minor trend.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
Those timestamps allow employees to retrieve video quickly without combing through hours of footage.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
After years of combing through it, Ferris discovered a pristine Digital Audio Tape (DAT) copy of the ’89 recording sessions.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
The Real Deal, an industry news outlet, found the filings while combing court dockets for real-estate suits and published a story.
—James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
On BookTok, Hoover was so heavily recommended from 2020 to 2024 that combing her books for the most unrealistic dialogue and character decisions became a minor trend.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
Those timestamps allow employees to retrieve video quickly without combing through hours of footage.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
After years of combing through it, Ferris discovered a pristine Digital Audio Tape (DAT) copy of the ’89 recording sessions.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
The Real Deal, an industry news outlet, found the filings while combing court dockets for real-estate suits and published a story.
—James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.
—Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combing
searching
Verb
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That name is so common in England that searching for it would leave sleuths acting on a tip chasing endless possibilities.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Others are searching for cult favorite revival bags, statement ready-to-wear in line with the spring collections, or occasion attire for the season’s upcoming events.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combing. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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