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
This can include flattening the hill, raking or shoveling the mound, or even using a garden hose to flood the area.
—
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 4 June 2026
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, 3 June 2026
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
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
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
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 4 June 2026
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, 3 June 2026
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
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
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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According to Ritter, defense attorneys could have been searching for a final opportunity to strengthen Anthony's position before the case reached the jury.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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The Pentagon is searching for new ways to protect military satellite communications from electronic attacks in space.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Verb
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First class Etihad Apartments; Singapore Suites; combing first class on Airbus A380s on all the major Gulf airlines in a single trip; combining six different airline first class products in a single round trip.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
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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
Verb
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At launch, Netflix says the game will take over every subscriber’s home screen — giving it the widest possible marketing campaign — and users will instantly be able to play after scanning the QR code with their phone.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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The words were insinuating, territorial, postwar code from a man to anyone not scanning as local.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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