as in fumbled
to search for something blindly or uncertainly
take a minute to fish for some change to drop in the donation box
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Recent Examples of fished
The falls are named after the Shoshone (or Shoshoni), a Native American tribe who lived in the area and fished on the Snake River.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Security agents fished VIPs from the crowd, among them Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and senior White House advisers Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino.
—Calvin Woodward, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
As with other popular techniques like a wacky rig or Texas rig, the Alabama rig can be fished at almost any time of year and produce plenty of bites.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
Eriksson Ek immediately fished the milestone puck out of the back of the net.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The story goes back to 1913 when Sen̓áḵw was a coastal village where Squamish people hunted and fished.
—Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Makassarese sailors from Celebes (Sulawesi) certainly fished off Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, from the mid-18th century and may have done so as early as the 16th century.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Regenda’s goal came after a Sharks forecheck as Adam Gaudette fished a puck out of the corner to the right of the Oilers net and got it back to the point.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The park has a variety of attractions, including more than 16 miles of trails ranging in difficulty, 90-acre Tucket Lake that can be fished, swim and kayak, and acts as a seasonal home to many migratory birds, like the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Security agents fished VIPs from the crowd, among them Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and senior White House advisers Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino.
—Calvin Woodward, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
As with other popular techniques like a wacky rig or Texas rig, the Alabama rig can be fished at almost any time of year and produce plenty of bites.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
Eriksson Ek immediately fished the milestone puck out of the back of the net.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The story goes back to 1913 when Sen̓áḵw was a coastal village where Squamish people hunted and fished.
—Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Makassarese sailors from Celebes (Sulawesi) certainly fished off Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, from the mid-18th century and may have done so as early as the 16th century.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Regenda’s goal came after a Sharks forecheck as Adam Gaudette fished a puck out of the corner to the right of the Oilers net and got it back to the point.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The park has a variety of attractions, including more than 16 miles of trails ranging in difficulty, 90-acre Tucket Lake that can be fished, swim and kayak, and acts as a seasonal home to many migratory birds, like the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fished
Verb
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The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of Z&L Properties.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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The city fumbled the rollout of the parks bond and now the residents are paying — in both money and exasperation, Inserra noted.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The walls of Franca’s store were lined with unlabeled bins and drawers full of bits and bobs that looked like the world’s most disorganized hardware store.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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For this anniversary edition, the design team at Smythson looked at the Beatrix Potter archive for illustrations, sketches and prints, translating them into key pieces include Panama notebooks in blue, green and chalk, gold-stamped with character motifs.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Vegas’ unprecedented success The Golden Knights have reached the NHL’s final four for the fifth time in nine seasons, the most of any team since 2017.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The Warriors last reached the state final four in 2024.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fished. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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