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
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Recent Examples of scouring
Gently scrub with a scouring pad or Brillo Pad and Blackstone Griddle Top Restore to eliminate rust and discoloration.
—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
This set the astronomical community scouring space in the direction of the constellation Eridanus for potential sources for an electromagnetic counterpart to this event with a range of telescopes.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2026
Then came 32 inches of rain over the last nine months, scouring out and moving sediment, creating deeper pools.
—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
There are no kitchen workers scouring pots or raconteurs drinking rum punch; most of the figures seem utterly incapable of offering directions or telling a joke, much less running, sweating, or allowing blood to flow through their veins.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scouring
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
This set the astronomical community scouring space in the direction of the constellation Eridanus for potential sources for an electromagnetic counterpart to this event with a range of telescopes.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2026
Then came 32 inches of rain over the last nine months, scouring out and moving sediment, creating deeper pools.
—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
There are no kitchen workers scouring pots or raconteurs drinking rum punch; most of the figures seem utterly incapable of offering directions or telling a joke, much less running, sweating, or allowing blood to flow through their veins.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scouring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scouring
Verb
-
Haley Williams, a spokesperson for the police department, told the Idaho Statesman in a text message that officers are searching the area for the driver of the vehicle who fled the scene.
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To better understand what drives a young person to commit these crimes, CNN spent months searching for prior offenders willing to speak about their experience.
Verb
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Then a casual dig through an estate sale bin morphs into obsession, resulting in making bids at auctions, combing through the recesses of eBay or imploring friends in politics to snag you a piece.
-
Chenoweth dug deep for clues, combing through film from Walker’s younger days.
Cite this Entry
“Scouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scouring. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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