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
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
Additional land could come from dredging the lake.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Or she’d fry okra after dredging it in fine cornmeal.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 19 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
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
Additional land could come from dredging the lake.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Or she’d fry okra after dredging it in fine cornmeal.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 19 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
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Many common airfare booking hacks, like searching on a Tuesday or using incognito mode, are myths according to travel experts.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
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Police are searching for a 24-year-old man who allegedly fired into a restaurant, injuring two teenagers.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On a sunny September afternoon, Pérez peered down the street outside her children’s school, scanning for suspicious vehicles.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Operating quick game requires a quarterback capable of scanning quickly and decisively pulling the trigger.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Operators should also follow federal aviation rules when using drones for tasks like mapping, surveying or capturing images at public events.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
15 Oct. 2025
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After surveying full-time employees at 1,150 companies, the researchers found that workslop is flowing in all directions inside firms.—
Lila MacLellan,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Long summer nights were spent combing through footage of corners and free kicks to bring himself up to speed.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Officers were seen combing through the Spanish-style house and the surrounding neighborhood for evidence on Wednesday.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Partner can double with hearts, thus finding an eight-card fit whenever possible.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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So many of McAnally’s song ideas have been mined from his knack for finding stories in everyday life.—
Nancy Kruh,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The bear repeated the raking pounce a little higher up Duane’s back.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
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When seeding bare areas or reseeding, cover the seed with a very thin layer of soil, approximately 1/8 inch thick, by gently raking the area after spreading seeds.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dredging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredging. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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