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
Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
More than 100 Pima County Sheriff's Department personnel, along with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, have joined in the search and investigation.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The man, who identified himself as Carlos Palazuelos, told Telemundo that his house in Rio Rico, south of Tucson, was searched as part of the investigation.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for search
Noun
Guests must pass through metal detectors and bag searches before entry.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
More than 100 Pima County Sheriff's Department personnel, along with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, have joined in the search and investigation.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The New York Times reported in February of 2025 that the CIA had expanded secret drone flights over Mexico to search for fentanyl labs.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The man, who identified himself as Carlos Palazuelos, told Telemundo that his house in Rio Rico, south of Tucson, was searched as part of the investigation.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for search
Recent Examples of Synonyms for search
Noun
-
The hunt was opened to public, DIY hunting in 2020.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Early reviews of the hunt show that active hunters had a success rate of about 50 percent, Young said.—
News Service Of Florida,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Recent grocery store closures have rocked the north side of Milwaukee, where growing food deserts – areas where quality food is difficult to find – have left entire neighborhoods without ready access to food.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In this drama series, two friends recently divorced and widowed explore their new single lives with teenage children while questioning the possibility of a romantic future.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The Lakers have an open roster spot and are actively exploring the buyout market to potentially strengthen their roster.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, California is losing traction in its quest to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gases from the state’s robust shipping sector.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Briarcliff Entertainment ‘s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, directed by Verbinski, follows a man claiming to be from the future who takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fulton County has also confirmed that some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount, the affidavit says.—
Kate Brumback,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Cold storage facilities have long struggled to automate inventory management due to frost, airflow, condensation, and glare, all of which degrade conventional sensors and scanning systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Boxer Imane Khelif admitted to having the SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, which is found in biological males, and undergoing hormone treatments to lower testosterone levels ahead of the 2024 Olympics in an interview with the French sports publication L'Equipe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The unit recorded higher losses than expected last quarter after Washington issued a stop-work order for projects including Vineyard Wind 1, located off Martha’s Vineyard.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For nearly three years, Dillard combed private databases, accessing records of 911 calls made during automobile accidents, officials said.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Juno, which for nine years divided its time between observing Jupiter and studying its moons, has beamed back plenty of data for scientists to comb through even after the orbiter's primary mission came to an end in 2025.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The cause of the wreck was not clear, but police were investigating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The Fort Worth Fire Department is investigating a fatal house fire on Friday night that left one dead, according to a news release from the agency.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Search.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/search. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
