as in to search
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
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Recent Examples of scour
In March, Rubio ordered American diplomats to scour the social-media posts of people who had applied for student visas.
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Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Mockovak scoured the bylaws of his housing community and discovered a provision that could further elevate his voice, his activism and his spirit.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Cops scouring the area for surveillance footage caught images of two of the attackers without their masks.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
In the past, travelers were left to scour the internet for lookalikes upon returning home, but this new breed of shoppable stays makes the dread of departure a little less acute, offering guests the chance to take those beloved details home with them.
—Stephanie Gavan, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scour
Verb
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Irvine police are searching for a woman who left a Bible on an Irvine resident's doorstep after stealing a person's package last month.—
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Hannah Natanson, who covers the federal government, was at home when the FBI searched the property and her devices, seizing a phone, Garmin watch and both a personal and work laptop, according to the news organization.—
Verb
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Investigators also found eight 9 mm casings fired from a Glock pistol at the scene where Holmes was killed, according to the affidavit.—
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In doing so, the judge found he could not be involved in the handling of the separate probes related to the civil fraud investigation and the NRA.—
Cite this Entry
“Scour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scour. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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