search 1 of 2

noun

Definition of searchnext
as in hunt
an act or process of looking carefully or thoroughly for someone or something the search for the missing hikers lasted several days

Synonyms & Similar Words

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search

2 of 2

verb

ˈsərch How to pronounce search (audio)
1
as in to find
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something archaeologists have begun to search the southern end of the valley, where they believe the underground tombs are located

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to explore
to go into or range over for purposes of discovery the Spanish conquistadors searched vast areas of the Southwest in their quest for the fabled cities of gold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 search
Noun
After bringing the fire under control, firefighters reentered the building to conduct secondary searches and perform salvage and overhaul, Hopkins said. — Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 Though the Republican focus on Omar’s background dates back years, the search of her home took place three weeks before the November midterms, in which Omar is on the ballot for reelection. — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
Players will follow her storyline of searching for her father through dance. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Where are clinicians or researchers spending time searching for information instead of interpreting it? — Sujay Jadhav, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for search
Recent Examples of Synonyms for search
  1. hunt
  2. find
  3. explore
  4. quest
  5. scan
  6. locate
  7. comb
  8. investigate
Noun
  • For one more week, LSU remains alive in the College Football Playoff hunt.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Over the years, local school groups have even joined the hunt, turning what could be a routine farm chore into something closer to a community event.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hunt
Verb
  • The story centers on two ex-lovers who come back into each other’s lives after spending decades apart, only to find old feelings stirring with messy and mixed results.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Hall found that forecasting future consumer spending is virtually impossible.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • That openness is the best thing about Cooked, a record that summons electric Miles and Popol Vuh and the Necks but mostly explores endless emotional ambiguity, offering a reminder that very few sensations are ever pure.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The move gives Victoria House access to Gersh’s international talent network and opportunities to explore new financing and co-production partnerships, while preserving the Spanish company’s creative independence.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of explore
Noun
  • The Chair44 discovery, on the other hand, fulfills a decades-long quest to find a strong example.
    — Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Their quest becomes more difficult every year, however, as the remains of pre-Columbian trees slough back into the earth or are dug up to make way for agriculture and construction.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of quest
Verb
  • Oeko-Tex’s existing Label Check tool allows shoppers to scan a QR code or enter a certificate number or product ID to verify a label and view the information associated with it.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities install a chip that is scanned by machines along federal highways.
    — Steve Fisher Special Correspondent Follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of scan
Verb
  • It’s set within AMAI, a sprawling hotel development between Cancún and Puerto Morelos, located within a mangrove landscape that gradually opens onto the Caribbean.
    — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The flagship is located at 611 Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of locate
Verb
  • Given the prime location, everything is at your disposal from combing history tomes at Yountville Library to ticking off as many wine tastings as possible in one day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators have been combing through surveillance video that captured part of the shooting, according to the court records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of comb
Verb
  • Minor cringe is meta-cringe, standing apart from the affect while coolly investigating it.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But using dogs to investigate crimes wasn’t widely adopted until the mid ‘80s, Gould said.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigate

Phrases Containing search

Browse Nearby Words

sear
search
searched
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Cite this Entry

“Search.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/search. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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