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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of raking
In addition to raking the traps, the greenskeeper at the country club also hired McConaughey to hunt the armadillos that were wreaking havoc on the greens of the golf course.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
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
What if your fall clean-up could involve less raking and more pumpkin spice lattes?
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
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
What if your fall clean-up could involve less raking and more pumpkin spice lattes?
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Catherine Corless, a local historian in Tuam, spent years combing through death certificates and church records from the former home, eventually documenting 796 children who died there.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Some properties even offer printing and scanning services at the front desk, and bathroom scales are available as well for weighing luggage before flights to avoid overweight bag fees.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Customers can also earn bonus entries into the grand prize sweepstakes by scanning the bar code on their Kohl's receipts.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Barca are finding life more difficult this term, though.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
With child care now costing costing more than many college degrees and more than rent in some major cities, parents are finding finances stretched.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share