SCOURING Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

scouring

verb

Definition of scouring

present participle of scour

as in searching

to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something the police scoured the city for the Typhoid Mary of this latest epidemic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 scouring Search aircraft and ships on Tuesday were scouring the area where the cargo ship MV Ocean Winner reportedly sunk Saturday about 276 miles (444 kilometers) from the Paradip coast of India's eastern Odisha state. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 And some local activists and internet sleuths are scouring the hillsides and topo maps trying to determine which properties would benefit most from the recent tree poisonings. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 So the designers essentially winged it, scouring old film books and blogs for any kind of direction. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 Inspired by true events, The Ocean Between Them stars Gayheart as Joan, a fierce mama bear scouring the Central American Pacific after her daughter Miranda (Jessica Lord) disappears at sea during a vacation in Belize. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 There’s nothing like the thrill of scouring thrift store racks, not just for rare treasures but for everyday staples like clothing and housewares. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 As support for Israel becomes more and more polarizing in elections everywhere, the nation’s leaders are scouring the world for allies. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 Police and other local authorities spent hours scouring the home and the surrounding area, trying to reconstruct the moments leading up to the deaths of the two men. — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scouring

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

Browse Nearby Words

scourging

scouring

scour(s)

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“Scouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scouring. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of scouring

verb

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