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

The biggest clubs have dozens of part-time and casual scouts scouring local clubs at young age groups. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

By scouring countless Reddit threads, the company was able to compile a list of the most controversial decor trends, and you might be surprised by what made the list. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2026

Search aircraft and ships on Tuesday were scouring the area where the cargo ship MV Ocean Winner reportedly sunk Saturday about 276 miles (444 kilometers) from the Paradip coast of India's eastern Odisha state. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

And some local activists and internet sleuths are scouring the hillsides and topo maps trying to determine which properties would benefit most from the recent tree poisonings. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

So the designers essentially winged it, scouring old film books and blogs for any kind of direction. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Inspired by true events, The Ocean Between Them stars Gayheart as Joan, a fierce mama bear scouring the Central American Pacific after her daughter Miranda (Jessica Lord) disappears at sea during a vacation in Belize. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026

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