as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
I've been dredging my memory bank, and I simply can't remember her name
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Recent Examples of dredge
One of the reasons cited is the need for dredging the marina entrance to Lake Michigan.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The fish can be prepared several ways, but the overwhelming favorite method is to dredge chunks of snook in bread crumbs and fry them.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Working one at a time, dredge the chicken in mayonnaise, then panko.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
Clearly, her absurd office dredged its barrenness from her.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dredge
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The fish can be prepared several ways, but the overwhelming favorite method is to dredge chunks of snook in bread crumbs and fry them.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Working one at a time, dredge the chicken in mayonnaise, then panko.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
Clearly, her absurd office dredged its barrenness from her.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dredge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dredge
Verb
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In the aftermath of the shooting, law-enforcement officers searched the defendants’ cars, apartments, and a brick home, affectionately nicknamed the Big Gay House, where some of them lived.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
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Officers are searching two properties in north London, a few miles from the scene of the attack in Golders Green.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power Saturday after high winds raked eastward from the Great Lakes region, leaving trees down and substantial property damage in their wake.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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The wood jambs supporting your front and back entryways can quickly get coated with pollen during springtime, and mowing and raking the lawn kicks up dust and dirt that settles along the frame.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And if the idea of combing through your spending history gives you the ick, plug your info into a financial app like Quicken Simplifi.—
Harlan Vaughn,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
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The strike caused an intense fire at the hospital, with footage from local television showing rescue crews combing through the wreckage with flashlights late into the night as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Four Fort Worth restaurants were temporarily closed, and roaches were found at others during the latest round of city health inspections, according to the inspection reports.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
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When the question was broken down by party affiliation, Democrats were significantly more likely to cross party lines, the 2024 survey found.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Visitors can scan a QR code and see the players come to life.—
Rina Nakano,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Ballots were sorted into separate precinct boxes rather than a single box, and vote-scanning machines were not used at polling locations, as the Democrats did.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dredge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredge. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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