as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
he raked repeatedly through his luggage, hoping that in one of the bags he would find his lost passport before his flight's departure
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Recent Examples of raking
Its pointed corners fit into crevices for raking out hard-to-reach pet hair from the car’s interior, car mats or any other fabric surface.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Do this by raking deeply into the soil to break up that thatch layer.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Protect the Seed Stockman recommends raking the seeds into the lawn to ensure that there is ample seed-to-soil contact.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Domínguez, meanwhile, has been raking at Triple-A since missing the cut for the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Pau Torres’s raking pass intended for Leon Bailey fell short.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
The good news for Samsung is that while the MX division struggles, its semiconductor division is raking it in.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Do this by raking deeply into the soil to break up that thatch layer.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Protect the Seed Stockman recommends raking the seeds into the lawn to ensure that there is ample seed-to-soil contact.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Domínguez, meanwhile, has been raking at Triple-A since missing the cut for the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Pau Torres’s raking pass intended for Leon Bailey fell short.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
The good news for Samsung is that while the MX division struggles, its semiconductor division is raking it in.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
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As police were searching for a suspect inside the Islamic center, dispatchers got calls that a landscaper may have been shot at blocks away, Wahl said.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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This was not an adequate explanation, and the woman was now looking back over her shoulder, as if searching for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Use marabou jigs, jigs tipped with one- to two-inch minnows and spoons for combing these deeper areas.—
John Phillips,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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While combing through coral, Harasti spotted a unique and wholly unfamiliar creature swimming through the water.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Gonce would call and call, scanning the street, her mind racing.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
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The Kansas City Chiefs' 2026-2027 schedule dropped on May 14 and Swifties are already scanning the calendar — including ticket sites — for home games as the superstar eyes a potential return to Arrowhead Stadium for a fourth season.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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For Yeon, the decision to revisit zombies wasn’t about retreading familiar ground but finding the right vessel for exploring modern anxieties.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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The next step is finding a place to meet in the middle and clarify what’s unsaid or unclear on both sides.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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