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
Just avoid raking clover seed after planting as this covers the seeds with too much soil and reduces germination rates.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
Its pointed corners fit into crevices for raking out hard-to-reach pet hair from the car’s interior, car mats or any other fabric surface.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Do this by raking deeply into the soil to break up that thatch layer.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Protect the Seed Stockman recommends raking the seeds into the lawn to ensure that there is ample seed-to-soil contact.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Domínguez, meanwhile, has been raking at Triple-A since missing the cut for the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Pau Torres’s raking pass intended for Leon Bailey fell short.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
Its pointed corners fit into crevices for raking out hard-to-reach pet hair from the car’s interior, car mats or any other fabric surface.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Do this by raking deeply into the soil to break up that thatch layer.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Protect the Seed Stockman recommends raking the seeds into the lawn to ensure that there is ample seed-to-soil contact.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Domínguez, meanwhile, has been raking at Triple-A since missing the cut for the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Pau Torres’s raking pass intended for Leon Bailey fell short.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
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This season, Sugar takes on a new missing persons case, searching for the older brother of an up-and-coming local boxer, while continuing his desperate hunt for his own missing sister.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Always searching, always growing, always going deeper, always chasing things outside his comfort zone.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
1 June 2026
Verb
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No one, perhaps, relishes the thought of combing through a credit report, shopping around for car insurance or parsing a bank statement.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Wiley often wears her hair in a stretched state, combing through her gray coils with a blow dryer before doing a braid-out.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Both states have passed legislation requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with DHS, and in Florida, even Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are now scanning Flock cameras to assist ICE.—
Gaby Del Valle,
The Verge,
29 May 2026
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The hamburger chain announced that on National Hamburger Day, Thursday, May 28, Whataburger Rewards members can order a medium order of fries and a medium drink, either online or by scanning the app in-store, and get a free Whataburger.—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
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From intelligent fraud monitoring to keeping transactions (and cash) flowing, tools like these are finding fresh applications of AI that help sellers maintain an advantage in a competitive marketplace.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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In a sea of prestige actresses doing dramedy, Byrne is a true comedic talent, sporting incredible instincts for finding the funniest angle for Sylvia to take in her line readings or gestures.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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