as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
the police scoured the city for the Typhoid Mary of this latest epidemic
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Recent Examples of scour
Days here naturally revolve around the water, from scouring the sand for shark teeth or perfecting your tan to kayaking through mangrove tunnels to searching for dolphins.
—
Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026
One Japanese city is taking no chances after a series of bear sightings this week, closing nearly 100 schools as officials scour the town, and as attacks take place elsewhere in the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Our editors scoured the online retailer to bring you the very best Medicube products on sale right now.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 8 June 2026
Or, head to Nordstrom to scour the sale section for more discounts.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scour
Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026
One Japanese city is taking no chances after a series of bear sightings this week, closing nearly 100 schools as officials scour the town, and as attacks take place elsewhere in the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Our editors scoured the online retailer to bring you the very best Medicube products on sale right now.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 8 June 2026
Or, head to Nordstrom to scour the sale section for more discounts.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scour
Verb
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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,
11 June 2026
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Employees searched the area but could not find him, according to law enforcement.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Captain Sandy finds her newish team in Dubrovnik, Croatia, aboard the Akira One, a bigger and older boat than last season’s Bravado.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
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Through this deceptively simple framework, Hiraide delivers a poetic and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the meaning of work and love, and the surprise of finding joy in life’s ephemeral details.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scour. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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