SEARCHING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

searching

verb

present participle of search

as in combing

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exploring

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 searching While searching the building to see if anyone was still inside, officers found about a half dozen fire extinguishers that had been discharged. — Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026 Denijah MyersTamika Tucker Denijah’s family continues searching for answers, organizing community searches, and following up on any potential leads. — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 13 July 2026 Even more telling, many hikers are searching for trails more than 200 miles from home, using the app to plan trips as much as to find local paths. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026 Ortiz was arrested after responding officers set up a perimeter and began searching the area Saturday night. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026 And, ultimately, Cohen is searching for new material for the next show. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 Long Beach police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who fatally struck a bicyclist early Monday morning. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 July 2026 The announcement comes as technology companies continue searching for reliable, around-the-clock electricity to support rapidly expanding computing infrastructure. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026 Mounds of rubble and partially collapsed buildings that were once crowded with people searching for survivors now lie abandoned. — Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for searching

Verb

Authorities are still combing through the Bédar area in search for any victims.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Authorities are still combing through the Bédar area in search of any victims.

— Sergio Rodrigo, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of combing

Verb

That was one of the main goals when designing the app, since an internet connection isn't always guaranteed when exploring nature in Michigan.

— Jack Springgate, CBS News, 13 July 2026
The strategy reflects a broader shift among Chinese chip companies that are exploring architectural innovations instead of relying solely on smaller manufacturing processes.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Definition of exploring

Verb

The best swimsuit for you should naturally align with your everyday style, but finding one is easier said than done.

— Alexandra Malmed, InStyle, 16 July 2026
Those with more modest means are falling further behind and, perhaps most alarmingly, finding fewer pathways to the economic mobility that has helped define the American dream.

— Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of finding

Verb

While scanning the roadside along I-80 offers a quick, anecdotal glimpse of the winter ahead, local districts maintain contact with Reclamation to track how much runoff will actually make its way to Folsom Lake.

— Corey Schmidt July 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Defender normally places hard limits on how big a file can be written to disk when scanning and quarantining a machine.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Definition of scanning

Verb

Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a French bulldog who was stolen during a burglary in May, authorities said.

— Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Enforcing judgments against foreign officials often depends on locating assets that can legally be seized in the United States or other jurisdictions.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

Definition of locating

Verb

Documents said that same day, someone from the foster home told the original Pembroke Pines Police Department investigating officer Goldbourne was planning to come back and meet with another underage girl.

— Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
The Maine Attorney General is investigating the shooting alongside local and federal authorities.

— Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Definition of investigating

Verb

New research from Omdia, commissioned by Apica and surveying 300 enterprise IT decision-makers, found that 59% of enterprises have already terminated or delayed an agentic AI deployment because observability costs have become unmanageable.

— Andi Mann, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
The Long Goodbye is full of glamorous hippies, with the actor Sterling Hayden (a veteran of the earlier noir era) surveying his domain on the beach in Malibu.

— Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of surveying

Verb

Shopping for cheap designer clothing typically means hoping to get lucky at your local Goodwill or scouring resale racks at Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange.

— Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 30 June 2026
However, the announcement on Tuesday underscores that Isaacman and his team are scouring NASA for hardware and other tools to advance the agency’s mandate to return to the Moon and to build a surface base.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026