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
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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
Tangled charging cords and rummaging through your bag mid-flight are problems this little organizer pouch completely eliminates.
—
Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Clip-On Earrings When rummaging through a grandmother's jewelry box, you're almost guaranteed to stumble upon a pair of clip-on earrings.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Elderly people walk the streets alone —some rummaging through trash, others standing in long lines for the bread and rice provided by the ration book, the basic subsidized foods the state guarantees to every Cuban.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Sporting a classic look that doesn’t feel overly old-fashioned, the medium wood tone and exposed grain feeds into the illusion of a true antique find (without the work of rummaging through an estate sale catalogue).
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
Officers later found a group of teens rummaging through the backpack.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Digital rummaging tests would protect against this idea of over-broad and expansive surveillance.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2026
The song progresses as the video shows scenes of deputies rummaging through the rapper's possessions, including several coats in a closet and CDs stacked near a stereo.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Clip-On Earrings When rummaging through a grandmother's jewelry box, you're almost guaranteed to stumble upon a pair of clip-on earrings.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Elderly people walk the streets alone —some rummaging through trash, others standing in long lines for the bread and rice provided by the ration book, the basic subsidized foods the state guarantees to every Cuban.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Sporting a classic look that doesn’t feel overly old-fashioned, the medium wood tone and exposed grain feeds into the illusion of a true antique find (without the work of rummaging through an estate sale catalogue).
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
Officers later found a group of teens rummaging through the backpack.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Digital rummaging tests would protect against this idea of over-broad and expansive surveillance.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2026
The song progresses as the video shows scenes of deputies rummaging through the rapper's possessions, including several coats in a closet and CDs stacked near a stereo.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rummaging
Verb
-
This is about finding a better balance.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
The amount of debris caused the delay in finding the second body.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Burberry is a professor of English and an expert in geomythology, a field which involves searching old folk tales, myths and stories for evidence of real geological events.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
-
The New York Knicks were indeed searching for a messiah of basketball’s Mecca.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But in the wake of discovering the hantavirus aboard the Hondius, health officials and infectious disease experts have been quick—and virtually unanimous—in trying to quell fears.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
The mood in Venice is still borderline ecstatic, full of gossip, parties, and people chatting about art in their respective cities, trading business cards, discovering new talent, eating, drinking, and stumbling around, running into old friends.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The building will have a gym, a gross motor room with play equipment for the youngest students, a two-story library with reading nooks, a learning hub able to accommodate two classes at a time, and an outdoor area with patio furniture.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Dex’s focus on AI software developers and machine learning engineers has helped the company win over a clutch of high-profile recruiting leaders.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow previously said his office remains committed to locating Smart’s remains, adding that authorities will continue using every lawful tool available to bring answers to her family.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Yet to the researchers’ surprise, the aye-ayes had no problem locating the target areas.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The Dark Knight’s wheels are getting a winter upgrade.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
And second, our views of the future tend to be dark, and seem to be getting darker.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rummaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rummaging. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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