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
The search turns into quite a challenge as 25,000 men in Germany carry the same name. — Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026 Federal authorities seized Omar's phone in the search and have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, a person briefed on the probe told the AP this week. — Arkansas Online, 18 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
  • Yet the clubs from small markets with relatively low payrolls found ways to play the best baseball in each of their respective leagues this season en route to the World Series.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Other organizations linked to Page, including Flu Lab LLC, One Aero, and Oceankind, were also incorporated in Delaware that month, after previously being in California, Rogelberg’s analysis of state filings found.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 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
  • In the last seven years, Bryan’s struggle to become a better person has paralleled his quest to become a good songwriter.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The question also has consequences for the quest to unify quantum mechanics with general relativity.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of quest
Verb
  • The decision to set that tone staggering through all 10 minutes of the extended cut might scan as raw inspiration, placing Spacemen 3 on a narrow band from La Monte Young and Terry Riley to some brilliant dro)))ne future.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The companies have also incorporated Wraith Shield, a waveform designed to scan radio-frequency spectrum and identify threats.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of scan
Verb
  • Even its afterglow was so absurdly incandescent that JWST was able to locate the source supernova only several months later.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, the counties that saw the highest acreage losses by far were San Joaquin — where Lodi is located — and Fresno.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 19 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

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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 20 Oct. 2026.

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