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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To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching).—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Rescuers in the Philippines were still searching for more than 100 people missing, mostly in widespread flooding in central provinces.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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How the agent works Aardvark continuously monitors source code repositories, analyzing commits, scanning for vulnerabilities, and prioritizing which ones matter most.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
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Rather than scanning a room with his eyes, Klaus will use his paws to feel his way around.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Researchers had been surveying the bay where it’s located for a separate study.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Royals are surveying fans about the team’s future, including potential sites for a new ballpark.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By Wednesday morning, law enforcement officers and workers in protective clothing were combing the area in search of the missing animals.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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Both directors have observed stan-worthy deep dives on social media, especially in TikTok videos, where fans are combing through moments of foreshadowing or character details that the filmmakers weaved into the story with love.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rutgers-Eagleton’s mid-October survey mirrored that trend, finding 42 percent of voters viewed Sherrill favorably and 45 percent unfavorably, while Ciattarelli’s numbers were 41 percent favorable and 47 percent unfavorable.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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And with 23andMe filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, her chances of finding any additional siblings may be dwindling.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This will improve your ability to perform daily tasks like reaching the back seat of your car to grab an object, shoveling snow, or raking leaves.—
Jenny McCoy,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
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What if your fall clean-up could involve less raking and more pumpkin spice lattes?—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dredging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredging. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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