as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
combed the library for the missing book
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Recent Examples of comb
Officials have finished combing through Nancy Guthrie’s home and turned it back over to the family, Nanos said.
—
Sarah Brumfield, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
That’s why this travel writer has diligently combed through the Spanx sale section to pull the best picks aligned with Oprah’s comfortable travel clothing philosophy.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
On the other hand, authorities have to dedicate more resources to combing through incoming tips to determine which may be credible.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Published today in Pediatrics, the study combed through medical records of nearly 2 million children born in Ontario between 2002 and 2018.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comb
Sarah Brumfield, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
That’s why this travel writer has diligently combed through the Spanx sale section to pull the best picks aligned with Oprah’s comfortable travel clothing philosophy.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
On the other hand, authorities have to dedicate more resources to combing through incoming tips to determine which may be credible.
—Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Published today in Pediatrics, the study combed through medical records of nearly 2 million children born in Ontario between 2002 and 2018.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comb
Verb
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Just search The Outside Podcast on YouTube to enjoy these chitchats with your eyes as well as your ears.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Give it a Google search Law enforcement, government officials, think tanks and academics have spent two decades searching for evidence of noncitizens voting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just ask DePaul-area resident Janice Hughes, who claims she was rear-ended by a Coco robot while raking the parkway in front of her home.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Alongside the bodies of martyrs from Iran’s past wars, the dusty earth of Behesht-e Zahra cemetery now cradles the remains of protesters killed in January’s protests, the latest conflict to rake Iran’s streets.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Recent grocery store closures have rocked the north side of Milwaukee, where growing food deserts – areas where quality food is difficult to find – have left entire neighborhoods without ready access to food.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comb. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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