Synonyms of dredge

dredge 1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈdrej 

as in to search

to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something

I've been dredging my memory bank, and I simply can't remember her name

Synonyms & Similar Words

• search
• rake
• comb
• find
• scan
• scour
• locate
• survey
• rifle
• explore
• investigate
• examine
• troll
• hunt (through)
• dig (through)
• rummage
• inspect
• ransack
• discover
• sort (through)
• review
• scrutinize
• detect
• ascertain
• check (out)
• determine
• audit
• track (down)
• find out
• run down
• learn
• probe
• hit (on or upon)
• shake down
• get
• ferret (out)
• study
• pat down
• prospect
• poke (around)
• frisk
• look over
• peruse
• glance (over)
• browse
• descry
• scare up
• snoop
• grub (about)
• skirmish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hide
• lose
• abandon
• ignore
• neglect

dredge (up)

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to find

to come upon after searching, study, or effort

I might be able to dredge up some old baby clothes to donate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• find
• learn
• discover
• locate
• hunt (down or up)
• get
• track (down)
• scout (up)
• find out
• run down
• dig out
• dig up
• hit (on or upon)
• detect
• turn up
• ferret (out)
• ascertain
• rout (out)
• determine
• root (out)
• scare up
• nose out
• rummage
• descry
• search (for or out)
• sight
• spot
• seek
• look for
• espy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pass over
• miss
• overlook
• lose
• misset
• misplace
• mislay

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dredge

Verb

The most common type of novel, though, is the one that’s mundanely descriptive of Life During the Pandemic—stories that feel as if they’ve been dredged from the author’s memories of it. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025

Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken lightly in flour, shaking off excess. —Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025

The subsidence is happening in landfilled areas made from sand and mud dredged from the sea. —Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025

To make this happen, the port's access channels have been dredged using a zero-discharge dredging technique to minimize environmental impact. —New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025

Phrases Containing dredge

• dredge (up)