rifling

verb

Definition of riflingnext
present participle of rifle
as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rifling Canale made 15 clearances, the most of anyone on the pitch, and scored the winning penalty, rifling the ball high into the net past Manuel Neuer. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 June 2026 The woman’s daughter showed investigators video footage showing Robinson rifling through the woman’s drawers, selecting items and hiding them on her body. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 5 June 2026 On solo trips, there’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere and rifling through a mess of clothes; these cubes keep everything organized from lift‑off to landing. — Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026 Who better to tell the tale of the city than the man who has spent years rifling through its junk? — Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 Adding to the chaos of the moment, Courtney encountered a bear rifling through the garbage outside. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 Restaurant workers saw Wyatt rifling through the vehicle, taking things out and looking for something to steal, Batista said. — Nicole Hensley, Houston Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026 Heise worked her way into the left faceoff circle before rifling a shot just under the crossbar to give the Frost the win and keep Vancouver winless on the road. — CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025 Best All-Time NFL Wide Receivers Starting slow in the NFL matters more than ending the season with a win streak, unless that win streak is rifling off 8-10 wins. — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifling
  1. searching
  2. scanning
  3. combing
Verb
  • While searching for a message to share with his team this week, Frost found inspiration from the handful of games that were played this weekend as part of Week 0.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The farm alleges an officer in Polk County shot the donkey while searching for a missing person without permission or warning, according to the Facebook post.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of searching
Verb
  • Clinical Trial Recruitment AI can accelerate clinical trial participant matching by scanning records against eligibility criteria, shortening recruitment dramatically.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As the children played and the adults talked, Rose kept noticing her husband looking toward the water, scanning the horizon.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of scanning
Verb
  • Tips and calls are coming in and investigators are combing through other video, Saucier said.
    — Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The videos show search crews combing the Pentagon's charred corridors, and interviews with firefighters working to contain the disaster.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of combing

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Rifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifling. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rifling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rifling

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