Synonyms of scouring

scouring

verb

present participle of scour

as in searching

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• searching
• combing
• finding
• scanning
• surveying
• exploring
• locating
• raking
• rummaging
• examining
• investigating
• trolling
• dredging
• ransacking
• inspecting
• digging (through)
• hunting (through)
• sorting (through)
• discovering
• reviewing
• rifling
• scrutinizing
• detecting
• ascertaining
• determining
• learning
• auditing
• studying
• perusing
• probing
• checking (out)
• browsing
• tracking (down)
• hitting (on or upon)
• prospecting
• snooping
• frisking
• finding out
• getting
• running down
• poking (around)
• ferreting (out)
• shaking down
• looking over
• patting down
• glancing (over)
• descrying
• skirmishing
• grubbing (about)
• scaring up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hiding
• losing
• ignoring
• abandoning
• neglecting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scouring

There’s nothing like the thrill of scouring thrift store racks, not just for rare treasures but for everyday staples like clothing and housewares. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

As support for Israel becomes more and more polarizing in elections everywhere, the nation’s leaders are scouring the world for allies. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Police and other local authorities spent hours scouring the home and the surrounding area, trying to reconstruct the moments leading up to the deaths of the two men. — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026

With the earnings season underway, investors scouring through financial results looking for clues to companies’ growth outlook. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Without it, we are reduced to scouring the corners of the internet for the best solutions. — Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026

Emergency crews on the ground and in helicopters are scouring the Karakoram mountain range for the 10 climbers, including one American, who are believed to be have been on 8,047-meter-tall Broad Peak when an avalanche struck around midday Thursday. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

After scouring recent and archival shopping coverage in The Times, and seeking recommendations from Styles reporters, editors and contributors, nearly 90 stores across the five boroughs emerged as contenders. — New York Times, 31 July 2026