as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something
the police scoured the city for the Typhoid Mary of this latest epidemic
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Recent Examples of scour
Norman said his department would continue to scour social media for footage and clues.
—
Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
While there’s not a lot to see and do, every bit of it is worth experiencing, so pick a pretty day and wander over to Waverly for a few hours of chatting with friendly folks, digging into good food, and scouring shelves for cool finds.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
As Imperial Japanese soldiers scour the streets, a group of civilians in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing seek refuge in a small photography studio.
—Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
Over the weekend, as online sleuths scoured photos of Trump for evidence of any frailty, the political scientist Ian Bremmer pointed out that obsessive scrutiny of a leader’s health is a hallmark of authoritarian countries.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scour
Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
While there’s not a lot to see and do, every bit of it is worth experiencing, so pick a pretty day and wander over to Waverly for a few hours of chatting with friendly folks, digging into good food, and scouring shelves for cool finds.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
As Imperial Japanese soldiers scour the streets, a group of civilians in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing seek refuge in a small photography studio.
—Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
Over the weekend, as online sleuths scoured photos of Trump for evidence of any frailty, the political scientist Ian Bremmer pointed out that obsessive scrutiny of a leader’s health is a hallmark of authoritarian countries.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scour
Verb
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Every bag and piece of equipment that comes through security on Sunday will be scanned and thoroughly searched.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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To search the restaurant inspections, type in a keyword or restaurant name.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In each case, magistrate judges had already found probable cause to proceed with the charges forward, yet jurors opted not to return indictments.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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Ease off the accelerator - Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scour. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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