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
The classic preparation, popularized in part by the iconic Julia Child, features a whole filet of Dover sole, dredged in flour and pan-fried in butter until golden.
—
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
When the golf event was originally moved to Carlton Woods in 2023, a lake located between the ninth and 18th holes was dredged, cleaned out, and netting was even installed to keep animals, including alligators, out of it so the winner could jump in after securing victory.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
For decades, the harbor entrance has been dredged each year in the spring, usually finishing in time to leave a fresh coat of sand on Oceanside’s nearby beaches in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Working with 1 tofu slab at a time, dredge tofu in flour mixture, gently pressing to adhere.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dredge
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
When the golf event was originally moved to Carlton Woods in 2023, a lake located between the ninth and 18th holes was dredged, cleaned out, and netting was even installed to keep animals, including alligators, out of it so the winner could jump in after securing victory.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
For decades, the harbor entrance has been dredged each year in the spring, usually finishing in time to leave a fresh coat of sand on Oceanside’s nearby beaches in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Working with 1 tofu slab at a time, dredge tofu in flour mixture, gently pressing to adhere.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dredge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dredge
Verb
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Jackson and his confidante allegedly ordered child pornography At the end of Episode 1, Amen describes how many of Jackson’s associates had their homes searched in the wake of his arrest.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Then comes raking the clippings, bagging them up, and hauling them to the garbage.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
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This can include flattening the hill, raking or shoveling the mound, or even using a garden hose to flood the area.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Opportunity for private tech Some AI companies have pitched themselves to police departments in host cities, promising to comb through data and surveillance on game days to prevent threats, including unruly fan behavior.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
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Zayas also combs through the dark web, a criminal haven on the internet where anonymous threat actors try to cause real-world harm.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Captain Sandy finds her newish team in Dubrovnik, Croatia, aboard the Akira One, a bigger and older boat than last season’s Bravado.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
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Through this deceptively simple framework, Hiraide delivers a poetic and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the meaning of work and love, and the surprise of finding joy in life’s ephemeral details.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The words were insinuating, territorial, postwar code from a man to anyone not scanning as local.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Her music owned up to being horny, garish, and superficial, but could scan as thin or cheap when held up to other kinds of ethical or political scrutiny.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dredge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredge. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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