as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
he raked repeatedly through his luggage, hoping that in one of the bags he would find his lost passport before his flight's departure
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Recent Examples of raking
For larger areas or quicker cleanup, a leaf blower can be a helpful alternative to raking.
—
Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Platner's first job as a kid was raking blueberries and picking strawberries.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
The bear repeated the raking pounce a little higher up Duane’s back.
—Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Do yard work like raking leaves or digging a garden.
—Sarah Bradley, Health, 30 Sep. 2025
Then comes fall, and a lot of people think they are done with the lawn for the season, except for mowing and raking leaves.
—Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, IndyStar, 27 Sep. 2025
Strong obliques stabilize your trunk during single-leg movements and help transfer force from your lower body to your upper body — essential in sports like tennis, baseball and golf, but just as important when raking leaves, shoveling snow or carrying groceries.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Using ironing cloths and a few leaves leftover from raking your yard, iron the leaves onto 8-by-8-inch squares of wax paper.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025
Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Platner's first job as a kid was raking blueberries and picking strawberries.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
The bear repeated the raking pounce a little higher up Duane’s back.
—Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Do yard work like raking leaves or digging a garden.
—Sarah Bradley, Health, 30 Sep. 2025
Then comes fall, and a lot of people think they are done with the lawn for the season, except for mowing and raking leaves.
—Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, IndyStar, 27 Sep. 2025
Strong obliques stabilize your trunk during single-leg movements and help transfer force from your lower body to your upper body — essential in sports like tennis, baseball and golf, but just as important when raking leaves, shoveling snow or carrying groceries.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Using ironing cloths and a few leaves leftover from raking your yard, iron the leaves onto 8-by-8-inch squares of wax paper.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
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The Flames, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win at home after starting their season 1-6-0.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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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,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Carter’s research for a billionaire aesthetic included combing through design magazines and coffee-table books, noting blanched color palettes and editorial spreads that both reflect and shape real-world luxury.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 Oct. 2025
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Then TikTok got ahold of it (yes, some teams even have staffers combing through social media).—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kurt's key takeaways Apple's new Preview app in iOS 26 makes editing and scanning documents easier than ever.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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My process involves regularly scanning for stocks achieving new three-month highs.—
David Keller,
CNBC,
16 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
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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