as in searching
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 dredging
Pound the chicken cutlets lightly to an even thickness before dredging to ensure uniform cooking and prevent dry edges.
—
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
One of the reasons cited is the need for dredging the marina entrance to Lake Michigan.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the legend, Yu, a heroic figure, saved Chinese civilization from decades of devastating floods by dredging rivers and waterways.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Pickleball courts, golf course to remain open Plans for the project include dredging the lake, repairing the concrete and foundation at the dam, and replacing a culvert near Flatwoods Road Cove with a bridge.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
The project would extend Osceola's slack-water harbor by 3,000 feet by dredging out 620,000 cubic yards of material.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2025
The fact that Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story is shooting in the neighborhood is dredging everything back up again.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
The changes a deepwater port could bring The Army Corps of Engineers this month issued a $400 million contract to begin the first phase of the port project, which will ultimately include dredging sediment from the ocean so bigger ships can dock.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
It would be leaked to Seymour Hersh in 1974; by then, the man who had pulled the report together for Schlesinger, William Colby, was DCI, but Schlesinger was blamed for dredging it all up in the first place.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2020
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
One of the reasons cited is the need for dredging the marina entrance to Lake Michigan.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
In the legend, Yu, a heroic figure, saved Chinese civilization from decades of devastating floods by dredging rivers and waterways.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
Pickleball courts, golf course to remain open Plans for the project include dredging the lake, repairing the concrete and foundation at the dam, and replacing a culvert near Flatwoods Road Cove with a bridge.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
The project would extend Osceola's slack-water harbor by 3,000 feet by dredging out 620,000 cubic yards of material.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2025
The fact that Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story is shooting in the neighborhood is dredging everything back up again.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
The changes a deepwater port could bring The Army Corps of Engineers this month issued a $400 million contract to begin the first phase of the port project, which will ultimately include dredging sediment from the ocean so bigger ships can dock.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
It would be leaked to Seymour Hersh in 1974; by then, the man who had pulled the report together for Schlesinger, William Colby, was DCI, but Schlesinger was blamed for dredging it all up in the first place.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dredging
Verb
-
The Celtics won by 32 and Philly will be searching for answers.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For a team that has spent much of the season searching for consistency and identity, this was something new.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tasks that once required advanced expertise—like scanning code for vulnerabilities or running attacks that require chaining multiple exploits together—are increasingly being automated or semiautomated by AI systems.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Another process that Wen thinks the chip could improve is scanning objects for 3D printing.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Teams were out Thursday surveying damage to determine the exact number of tornadoes, Bunting said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Garing, 37, works full-time as a field technician for a land surveying company.—
Gili Malinsky
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One way to tackle the show at the Met is to go from start to finish, diligently combing through all two hundred and thirty-seven pieces by Raphael and his wider circle.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
After that check was delivered to the state Department of Social Services office in Hartford, the audit into Zervas’ optometry practice was dropped, which prevented state auditors from combing through her records and potentially clawing back even more money for the state.—
Dave Altimari,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The whole thing was a sign that the college is still finding its footing.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Throughout the renovation, approximately 90% of furniture, mattresses, lighting and artwork from previous guestrooms were resold and diverted from landfills, finding new homes across the United States.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Matt McLain added muscle, is now raking On the one hand, McLain adding a dozen pounds of muscle in the offseason seems like an unambiguously positive development.—
Andy Behrens,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dredging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredging. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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