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
Relevance
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 scouring
By scouring two years of police body cam footage, Gandbhir hoped to turn a tool intended to protect police into a tool that exposes their faults.
—
Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
The Levee Breaks Maspero had been scouring the mathematical literature for anything that could help him.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Rather than scouring Ligue 1’s bargain basement, the emphasis was on finding elite-level players who could improve an already successful team.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
After scouring the woods for another 10 minutes, the volunteers gave up.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scouring
Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
The Levee Breaks Maspero had been scouring the mathematical literature for anything that could help him.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
Rather than scouring Ligue 1’s bargain basement, the emphasis was on finding elite-level players who could improve an already successful team.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
After scouring the woods for another 10 minutes, the volunteers gave up.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scouring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scouring
Verb
-
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,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Rescuers in the Philippines were still searching for more than 100 people missing, mostly in widespread flooding in central provinces.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Catherine Corless, a local historian in Tuam, spent years combing through death certificates and church records from the former home, eventually documenting 796 children who died there.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
By Wednesday morning, law enforcement officers and workers in protective clothing were combing the area in search of the missing animals.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scouring. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share