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
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 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
-
Conservatives are digging through Talarico’s social media history and finding a trove of progressive commentary on hot-button cultural issues like race, gender, religion and immigration.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Under Johnson’s direction, Ginn is finding her own individual footing with the part.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are still searching for their three-man chemistry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The center will continue its mission of caring for native birds and wildlife, officials said, and begin searching for a new executive director.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In nuclear physics, discovering the internal structure of the atom led to enormous advances, but also brought us the dangers of radioactivity and atomic weapons.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The scrutiny erupted in January, when an Austin woman and her child were deported after an Austin officer contacted ICE upon discovering an administrative warrant for the woman.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The donation was made to the Foundation for New Education Initiatives, a nonprofit organization Carvalho founded to improve learning opportunities for students from lower-income families.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
California has introduced universal pre-kindergarten, and New York City is expanding its pre-kindergarten program to 2-year-olds, giving toddlers an early start on learning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For now, officials say the main challenge remains locating the uranium.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a missing, at-risk person.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This alternating and reciprocal motion is not just about getting you from point A to point B.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
So a little less than half of the time in between the Bolt ending production and today was spent just getting everything set up in the factory and getting that line going again.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rummaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rummaging. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
