as in searching
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
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Recent Examples of rifling
Best All-Time NFL Wide Receivers Starting slow in the NFL matters more than ending the season with a win streak, unless that win streak is rifling off 8-10 wins.
—
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifling
Verb
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While searching for Tyga's Instagram page, Drake said his app's explore page was flooded by content of the two-time WWE world champion, whose real name is Demi Bennett.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Someone in Memphis searching for a mechanic shouldn't receive results optimized for Phoenix auto shops, even if those Phoenix businesses have technically superior traditional search engine optimization.—
Joe Toscano,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So, like two detectives sniffing a break in a case, Richardson and Soto further investigated, scanning more clips in search of supporting evidence.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, a Gen X employee might dedicate 15 minutes each morning to scanning industry headlines.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ilett has been combing the schedule.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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Less than two weeks later, a DOGE task force arrived in Bradenton for a two-day visit, combing through files and interviewing staff.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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