as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
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 rifling
The United States international, of all the players in white needing a confidence boost in front of goal, had the time and space to ready himself before rifling the ball past Martin Dubravka.
—
Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Best All-Time NFL Wide Receivers Starting slow in the NFL matters more than ending the season with a win streak, unless that win streak is rifling off 8-10 wins.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Best All-Time NFL Wide Receivers Starting slow in the NFL matters more than ending the season with a win streak, unless that win streak is rifling off 8-10 wins.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifling
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
My process involves regularly scanning for stocks achieving new three-month highs.—
David Keller,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Then TikTok got ahold of it (yes, some teams even have staffers combing through social media).—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share