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
-
LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are still searching for their three-man chemistry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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The center will continue its mission of caring for native birds and wildlife, officials said, and begin searching for a new executive director.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Similar large-scale digitization efforts—such as the openVertebrate Project, led by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Blackburn, which involved scanning thousands of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians—have begun transforming how biologists study anatomy.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Gillespie said the bill would require machines capable of digitally scanning ballots while preserving copies that could be reviewed later if questions arise about the vote count.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Data center details Heavy construction machines began surveying and tilling the earth at 501 North Bly Road in November, much to the surprise of Bly Road residents, who say they weren’t warned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
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Days later and thousands of miles away, the Disney executives got an additional glimpse of what might be in store when surveying the scene at the international premiere of the Thanksgiving tentpole at Shanghai Disneyland, where a Zootopia-land attraction has become the driving force of attendance.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conservatives are digging through Talarico’s social media history and finding a trove of progressive commentary on hot-button cultural issues like race, gender, religion and immigration.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Under Johnson’s direction, Ginn is finding her own individual footing with the part.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Allow the surface to dry then prepare the seed bed by raking the soil smooth.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dredging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredging. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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