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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Trailing to Jule Brand's 19th-minute goal for record eight-time champion Lyon, Arsenal was gifted an equalizer in the 59th when Mariona Caldentey's low free kick into the area was fumbled backward by goalkeeper Christiane Endler and onto the post.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Critics say the Epstein files show how Republican and Democratic administrations alike fumbled the Epstein investigation over two decades, leaving potential coconspirators uncharged.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For one night, the Mets looked like the team they’re supposed to be.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Magic superstar Tracy McGrady was playing at an MVP level, and Orlando looked faster, freer and flat-out better.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When maintenance issues reached a crisis point with sewage overflow in 2023, residents turned to the attorney general to intervene.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Per Disney, the first episode has reached 11 million viewers across all platforms in its first 35 days of availability.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fished. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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