as in hunts
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
Relevance
1
as in finds
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 explores
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 searches
ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
State laws include requirements like firearms safety courses, background searches and mental health history checks, according to the attorneys general.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
State laws include requirements such as firearms safety courses, background searches and mental health history checks, according to the attorneys general.
—Jessica Hill The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 8 May 2026
Worldwide, searches for grief have quadrupled since 2004.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The unanimous vote followed sometimes emotional testimony at a City Council meeting from Angelenos about how their lives had been shaken by discriminatory traffic stops and searches.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Chronister said content on Abugharbieh’s phone had been erased, but a forensic examination revealed disturbing searches in the days before Bristy and Limon went missing.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Bouquets, meanwhile, are receiving the alt-bride treatment, with searches climbing for fuzzy wire bouquets, bouquet purses and flowerless arrangements.
—Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Some very interesting names and details have emerged in the GM searches taking place for the Maple Leafs and Canucks.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
And online ticket agency Ticket Source, analyzing Google Search results, found that searches for flights to Fiji more than doubled compared to previous weeks during Love Island USA’s popular season 7 run in 2025.
—Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Tereza won’t stand for it and searches for a way to relocate elsewhere.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Through a surreal odyssey that spans a century, the hero searches for his identity and navigates the highs and lows of fame and notoriety.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
As the semiconductor industry searches for successors to silicon, the study suggests the next breakthrough may depend less on a single wonder material and more on engineering the interface between multiple layers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Together, these two superb artists make much of Yarris constantly seeking the light, as Yarris searches for a way forward from the blackness of death row.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Together, these two superb artists make much of Yarris constantly seeking the light, as Yarris searches for a way forward from the blackness of Death Row.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
The tool searches and consolidates client relationship insights and recent activity into ready-to-use prep materials and, with client consent, acts as an AI notetaker during virtual meetings.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
These changes may represent a bit of a course correction for Google after AI tools created too many zero-click searches.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
State laws include requirements like firearms safety courses, background searches and mental health history checks, according to the attorneys general.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
State laws include requirements such as firearms safety courses, background searches and mental health history checks, according to the attorneys general.
—Jessica Hill The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 8 May 2026
Worldwide, searches for grief have quadrupled since 2004.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The unanimous vote followed sometimes emotional testimony at a City Council meeting from Angelenos about how their lives had been shaken by discriminatory traffic stops and searches.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Chronister said content on Abugharbieh’s phone had been erased, but a forensic examination revealed disturbing searches in the days before Bristy and Limon went missing.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Bouquets, meanwhile, are receiving the alt-bride treatment, with searches climbing for fuzzy wire bouquets, bouquet purses and flowerless arrangements.
—Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Some very interesting names and details have emerged in the GM searches taking place for the Maple Leafs and Canucks.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
Oil Landscapes Few things add warmth and a bit of history to a space the way that an antique oil painting does, and that’s exactly why Mississippi designer Melanie Bryant searches for them.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
And online ticket agency Ticket Source, analyzing Google Search results, found that searches for flights to Fiji more than doubled compared to previous weeks during Love Island USA’s popular season 7 run in 2025.
—Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Tereza won’t stand for it and searches for a way to relocate elsewhere.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Through a surreal odyssey that spans a century, the hero searches for his identity and navigates the highs and lows of fame and notoriety.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
As the semiconductor industry searches for successors to silicon, the study suggests the next breakthrough may depend less on a single wonder material and more on engineering the interface between multiple layers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Together, these two superb artists make much of Yarris constantly seeking the light, as Yarris searches for a way forward from the blackness of death row.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Together, these two superb artists make much of Yarris constantly seeking the light, as Yarris searches for a way forward from the blackness of Death Row.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
The tool searches and consolidates client relationship insights and recent activity into ready-to-use prep materials and, with client consent, acts as an AI notetaker during virtual meetings.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searches
Noun
-
Staff are on hand 24 hours a day to supervise crafts and games, water sports, reef fishing, cookery classes, crab hunts, and marine biologist excursions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Beyond the new aerial hunting provision, TPWD is managing aoudad populations through public land hunts across West Texas.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Johnson finds a disturbing manuscript raising questions about the author’s mental state.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
From glossy flagships and chaotic Don Quijote megastores (also known as Donki) to drugstores like Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Cocokara Fine, Japan is full of great beauty finds.—
Anita Bhagwandas,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Martel explores the killing not as an isolated event in her country’s recent past but as part of a long history of dispossession.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Almodovar, known for his deeply personal work, explores artistic creation by following a film director working on a script, along with a woman named Elsa who heads out on a trip after her mother dies.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
One of the most vital scientific quests related to the future of all life on Earth involves water.—
Alaina Harkness,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Expect impromptu plans with friends or family and little side quests that end up being the highlight of your week.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to the two deputies stationed inside the board room during meetings, the sheriff’s office also scans bags and uses a magnetometer for visitors.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
In those sleepy unstaffed stations, passengers routinely board and the train starts moving again before the conductor ever makes contact or scans their tickets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The senators' letter probes the potential political motivations of the investigation.—
Matt Peterson,Emily Wilkins,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That tension created fertile ground for jokes, says the actor, who probes similar spaces in his Apple TV series, Shrinking.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel combs the depths of the Vistula River day and night, caught in a grueling, endless routine and torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the fragile hope that his son may still be alive.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Zayas also combs through the dark web, a criminal haven on the internet where anonymous threat actors try to cause real-world harm.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each rank is colored by how that expert compares to the consensus — prospects an analyst liked more than average are more green, and rankings lower than consensus are more orange.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Dolphins doubled down on Red Raiders prospects after, earlier Friday, choosing Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez with their lone second-round pick.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Searches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/searches. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
