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
Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Spotlight, in its previous form, was focused mostly around searches, with a few extra capabilities (like basic arithmetic or unit conversions) thrown in for good measure.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
According to Pinterest’s 2025 Fall Trends Report, searches for preppy staples are skyrocketing as folks embrace this polished aesthetic.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
During his arraignment first in District Court and then Superior Court, prosecutors read a series of grisly internet searches done on an iPad found in the home.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The practice effectively forces sellers to buy ads to make their product appear in response to consumer searches.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
In the days after his wife's disappearance, Walshe allegedly used his son's iPad to make over a dozen Google searches about how to discard a body, prosecutors said.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
According to Google Trends, searches in the fluffy figurine with a grin of spiky teeth peaked in the week of July 13 to 19, and has since seen a gradual decline.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
We're protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Kecmanović, a steady pro who will test the Brazilian’s rally tolerance, isn’t an ideal opponent as Fonseca searches for his first main-draw win in New York.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Trump continues to demand massive rate cuts as his administration actively searches for who will replace Powell once his term as chair ends in May 2026.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Jamahl Mosley‘s squad will play on national TV 14 times, including three on NBC and three on ESPN, as the group searches for a third straight trip to the playoffs.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025
Disappearing after a day’s work as a street vendor, his family desperately searches for him.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Penske says roughly 20% of Google searches leading to its sites now display AI Overviews — and, here’s the rub, that those summaries lift material from publishers’ work, answer the user’s query directly on the results page, and keep readers from clicking through.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Spotlight, in its previous form, was focused mostly around searches, with a few extra capabilities (like basic arithmetic or unit conversions) thrown in for good measure.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
According to Pinterest’s 2025 Fall Trends Report, searches for preppy staples are skyrocketing as folks embrace this polished aesthetic.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
During his arraignment first in District Court and then Superior Court, prosecutors read a series of grisly internet searches done on an iPad found in the home.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The practice effectively forces sellers to buy ads to make their product appear in response to consumer searches.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
In the days after his wife's disappearance, Walshe allegedly used his son's iPad to make over a dozen Google searches about how to discard a body, prosecutors said.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
According to Google Trends, searches in the fluffy figurine with a grin of spiky teeth peaked in the week of July 13 to 19, and has since seen a gradual decline.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
We're protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
One agent searches through system information to identify suspicious behavior, another revises security policies to prevent future threats of the same kind and a third tests the defenses of the system by staging an attack.
—Perry Carpenter, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Kecmanović, a steady pro who will test the Brazilian’s rally tolerance, isn’t an ideal opponent as Fonseca searches for his first main-draw win in New York.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Trump continues to demand massive rate cuts as his administration actively searches for who will replace Powell once his term as chair ends in May 2026.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Jamahl Mosley‘s squad will play on national TV 14 times, including three on NBC and three on ESPN, as the group searches for a third straight trip to the playoffs.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025
Disappearing after a day’s work as a street vendor, his family desperately searches for him.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searches
Noun
-
Only two limited hunts have been held for these Rocky Mountain bighorns.—
Tim Kelly,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
-
My boys hunt, my husband hunts, my father-in-law, etc.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Keep scrolling for kitchen finds as low as $5.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Perhaps overcome by the beauty of a very blue natural pool nestled in the woods, Cherry finds it in herself to be honest with Daniel.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The film explores the 1936-39 Arab Revolt in which Palestinians rose up against Britain’s colonial rule, against a backdrop of rising Jewish immigration following the country’s support for the establishment of a national home for the Jews in Palestine with the 1917 Balfour Declaration.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Co-written with Claire Douglas, Hannah Ellis, and Jason Massey, the song explores the uneasy tendency to sabotage our own happiness, pairing wistful guitars with Velasco's soaring vocals.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The quests in the other two books are there to give players more gold and magic items to buff up their characters.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Fans and creators will be able to connect via Luffa through quests, rewards, SuperGroups and live activations.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Android Hidden Camera Detector (FutureApps)Uses your phone's magnetic sensor to alert you near electronics and also scans for infrared light.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
To achieve this, the Fourier transform essentially scans all possible frequencies and determines how much each contributes to the original function.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Amidst sexy scenes on and off the court and hilarious banter, Spencer also probes the more vulnerable, wounded parts of her character’s hearts.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Russia, too, regularly probes America’s northern flank.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to measuring students' academic achievement, NAEP also surveys things like students' comfort level with certain subjects and their attendance.—
Sequoia Carrillo,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Kantar, a global marketing data and insights company that surveys shoppers every month about their spending plans, has seen that parents this year are shopping earlier to beat rising costs and avoid out-of-stocks, and prioritizing value.—
Joan Verdon,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Conrad eventually locates Jeremiah and manages to hand him the letter.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Jarcho locates an undecidability in masochistic desire.—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Searches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/searches. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share