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
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
Once true fall arrives, though, we’ll soon be met with the quintessential (yet arduous) autumnal task of raking leaves.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 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
Operations include tractors pulling raking machines, supporting crews of laborers who pick up litter and empty trash cans by hand and beach sweepers who clear paths for pedestrians and bike trail users.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
However, those four agencies all play critical parts in California’s wildfire prevention and response efforts, from forecasting and forest management (yes, raking and cutting underbrush is included here) to post-fire disaster relief.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Vargas, like Sosa, has been raking since the All-Star break.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
In renderings, the pergola seems to recede into foliage, and crowds mingle underneath in raking light.
—Sam Bloch
august 8, Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, IndyStar, 27 Sep. 2025
Once true fall arrives, though, we’ll soon be met with the quintessential (yet arduous) autumnal task of raking leaves.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 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
Operations include tractors pulling raking machines, supporting crews of laborers who pick up litter and empty trash cans by hand and beach sweepers who clear paths for pedestrians and bike trail users.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
However, those four agencies all play critical parts in California’s wildfire prevention and response efforts, from forecasting and forest management (yes, raking and cutting underbrush is included here) to post-fire disaster relief.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Vargas, like Sosa, has been raking since the All-Star break.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
In renderings, the pergola seems to recede into foliage, and crowds mingle underneath in raking light.
—Sam Bloch
august 8, Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
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In the Atacama Desert, a young woman dreams of becoming an astronaut while investigating her mother’s mysterious death and searching for the father who abandoned her.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
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The location was one of several that the company explored when searching for a spot in the city.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Detectives, according to police officials, are interviewing witnesses and combing through surveillance video in an effort to identify suspects.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
5 Oct. 2025
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In true Swiftie fashion, social media has fast become inundated with fans combing through each lyric of the 12-track record for Easter eggs about Swift's life, double entendres, and hints at who certain tracks might be about.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The dachshund sat in the front seat, scanning the outside for someone to walk past.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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In seconds, anyone in the room can join the fun simply by scanning a QR code.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Iamaleava piloted an offense that looked reborn, finding 42 reasons to believe again.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Culinary skills aside, he’s proven a quick study finding who the power brokers are here and has been working closely with them.—
Carol Cain,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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