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
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
The wood jambs supporting your front and back entryways can quickly get coated with pollen during springtime, and mowing and raking the lawn kicks up dust and dirt that settles along the frame.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Chris Cerveny, co-founder of Just Good Soil, recommends holding off on raking your leaves immediately.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
Fleischer recommends waiting until a snowstorm has ended before raking the roof and to never use a ladder in the snow.
—Christina Cush, Architectural Digest, 20 Feb. 2026
Between raking leaves, aerating your lawn, adding grass seed, and more, fall is one of the busiest and most important seasons for maintaining your yard.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2024
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
The wood jambs supporting your front and back entryways can quickly get coated with pollen during springtime, and mowing and raking the lawn kicks up dust and dirt that settles along the frame.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Chris Cerveny, co-founder of Just Good Soil, recommends holding off on raking your leaves immediately.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
Fleischer recommends waiting until a snowstorm has ended before raking the roof and to never use a ladder in the snow.
—Christina Cush, Architectural Digest, 20 Feb. 2026
Between raking leaves, aerating your lawn, adding grass seed, and more, fall is one of the busiest and most important seasons for maintaining your yard.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raking
Verb
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By my count, that would leave the Rangers searching for three forwards and two defensemen, plus a new backup goalie.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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That's because people like the Warneskys, who are seeking to rebuild in disaster-prone regions, are searching for greater peace of mind.—
Vanessa Romo,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The day after a man opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, authorities are combing through a message sent by the shooting suspect, seeking to understand what allegedly led him from his life as a respected California teacher to a would-be assassin.—
Alayna Treene,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Investigators are now combing through a hotel room at the Washington Hilton.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From the vantage point of L2, the X-ray spacecraft was able to gather the data that informed this soft X-ray map by scanning the sky four times between 2019 and 2021.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In some cases, paid ICE officers were scanning IDs while unpaid TSA workers were working the security scanning machines at Hartsfield-Jackson.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Desperation under dire circumstances didn’t stop the Lakers from finding their lifeline in a 112-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, winning the 5-minute extra period 11-7 after a stunning comeback in the final minute of regulation.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raking. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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