1
as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
at the last minute she rummaged a costume from the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
he rummaged the desk drawer trying to find the spare keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rummaging
Wired headphones, chargers, and adapters go here, so you’ll never be stuck rummaging through a tote bag for an EU-compatible plug at the gate again.
—
Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026
Nervous hands rummaging for tissues in handbags, sweaty embraces, last words of advice—and then, we were gone.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Almost immediately the gunman went rummaging through a small tackle box beneath his chair while the other man passed an unlabeled liter of clear liquid to Adi.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead of rummaging through containers and bags of food, stackable refrigerator bins are our favorite way to make everything easy to find and reach.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Jansen Prosecutors describe challenges organizing Epstein evidence Federal prosecutors describe the same problems searching through electronic documents in the Epstein case as casual observers have found rummaging through the records the Justice Department released.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Videos of bears rummaging through supermarket aisles, roaming school grounds and plucking persimmons from suburban backyards have gone viral on Japanese social media.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
In one of the scenes, Kevin takes advantage of being alone in the house and starts rummaging through his big brother Buzz's belongings.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025
Dogs around Delhi usually mind their business, which includes basking in the sun, rummaging through trash for food or chasing away rats.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026
Nervous hands rummaging for tissues in handbags, sweaty embraces, last words of advice—and then, we were gone.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Almost immediately the gunman went rummaging through a small tackle box beneath his chair while the other man passed an unlabeled liter of clear liquid to Adi.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead of rummaging through containers and bags of food, stackable refrigerator bins are our favorite way to make everything easy to find and reach.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Jansen Prosecutors describe challenges organizing Epstein evidence Federal prosecutors describe the same problems searching through electronic documents in the Epstein case as casual observers have found rummaging through the records the Justice Department released.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Videos of bears rummaging through supermarket aisles, roaming school grounds and plucking persimmons from suburban backyards have gone viral on Japanese social media.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
In one of the scenes, Kevin takes advantage of being alone in the house and starts rummaging through his big brother Buzz's belongings.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025
Dogs around Delhi usually mind their business, which includes basking in the sun, rummaging through trash for food or chasing away rats.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rummaging
Verb
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All these offers expire on February 23, so get to finding your ideal bed partner today.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Beyond finding the origin of the lipstick vine species, Ree said the study emphasizes the importance of scientific fieldwork and observing ecological interactions.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Schacht, a lean clinical psychologist with boyish features, has spent much of his career searching for medications to treat alcohol addiction.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The latter sees a faded film star in Georgia returning to acting and discovering an industry that has left him behind.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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But recently TikTok is discovering the face-framing magic that comes from turning your curls inward.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Enhance your media literacy by learning the differences between news and opinion and, further, how to differentiate between advertising, news articles, letters, columns and editorials.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
YouTube pushed back on addiction claims YouTube wasn’t originally part of the lawsuit; Kaley and her mother decided to add it after learning about the platform’s addictive qualities, Lanier said.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prayer requests have accompanied Guthrie’s calls for help locating her mother.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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The findings underscore the importance of incorporating oral traditions into heritage protection, as folklore contains crucial information for locating these sites.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson called Garland one of his favorite players and seemed to take comfort in handing him off to Lue, who is known for getting the most out of his players.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Otherwise, past travelers note that Anse Source d’Argent can get busy, and your fellow tourists may prevent you from getting that picture-perfect moment.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rummaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rummaging. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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