as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
the owner of the bed-and-breakfast often trolls antique stores for furniture and knickknacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of trolling
Yet Fishback promotes conspiracy theories and trolling language against Jewish people.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
In critiquing Trump on social media, Newsom has taken to imitating the president’s tone, trolling Trump in his all-caps style.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
After all, Schembechler never had to deal with NIL, the transfer portal and collegiate agents trolling the waters for recruits who want to jump ship.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Long trolling Trump in what many view as the lead-up to a 2028 White House bid by the two-term Democrat, Newsom’s missive comes in all caps and with the over-the-top self-aggrandizement that is common to POTUS himself — which is often the point.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
Tony Romo got a little prophetic while trolling Swifties in 2023.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
After the stoppage, Van posted on X trolling Johnson.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Trump unleashed a series of trolling Truth Social posts yesterday, taking aim at French President Emmanuel Macron.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Over a 14-year period, nine protection or restraining orders were filed against Barrett for incidents that involved the harassment or assault of at least six women; this included death threats, trolling on Instagram, and impersonating a police officer.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 9 Dec. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
In critiquing Trump on social media, Newsom has taken to imitating the president’s tone, trolling Trump in his all-caps style.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
After all, Schembechler never had to deal with NIL, the transfer portal and collegiate agents trolling the waters for recruits who want to jump ship.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Long trolling Trump in what many view as the lead-up to a 2028 White House bid by the two-term Democrat, Newsom’s missive comes in all caps and with the over-the-top self-aggrandizement that is common to POTUS himself — which is often the point.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
Tony Romo got a little prophetic while trolling Swifties in 2023.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
After the stoppage, Van posted on X trolling Johnson.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Trump unleashed a series of trolling Truth Social posts yesterday, taking aim at French President Emmanuel Macron.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Over a 14-year period, nine protection or restraining orders were filed against Barrett for incidents that involved the harassment or assault of at least six women; this included death threats, trolling on Instagram, and impersonating a police officer.
—Annette McGivney, Outside, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trolling
Verb
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LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are still searching for their three-man chemistry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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The center will continue its mission of caring for native birds and wildlife, officials said, and begin searching for a new executive director.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Similar large-scale digitization efforts—such as the openVertebrate Project, led by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Blackburn, which involved scanning thousands of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians—have begun transforming how biologists study anatomy.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Mar. 2026
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Gillespie said the bill would require machines capable of digitally scanning ballots while preserving copies that could be reviewed later if questions arise about the vote count.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trolling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trolling. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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