dredge

verb

ˈdrej How to pronounce dredge (audio)
Definition of dredgenext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dredge After one unit went offline, the Romanian navy blasted riverbed rocks, dredged the channel, and sank barges filled with stones in an attempt to divert more water toward the plant and keep the other unit operating. — CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 The Trust says the project would involve dredging around 643,000 cubic meters of sediment from the Fal Estuary, with potential risks to seagrass, kelp, maerl beds and the area’s native oyster fishery. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Working one at a time, dredge eggplant planks in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. — Rachel Dolfi, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 July 2026 Astor’s body was dredged from the drink, shipped from Nova Scotia to New York, and attended to by Crandall with such deftness that his funeral featured a public viewing. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dredge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dredge
  1. search
  2. rake
  3. comb
  4. find
  5. scan
Verb
  • Florida Highway Patrol troopers are continuing to search for the hit-and-run driver, according to Florida Today.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Every time an employee asks AI to summarize a meeting, rewrite an email, analyze a spreadsheet or search through thousands of internal documents, the company is paying for another unit of intelligence.
    — Tiffany Chang, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of search
Verb
  • The rains came from a typical monsoon storm; these storms rake across the Grand Canyon and the desert Southwest between June and September every year.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Compost Fallen Leaves Instead of mowing, consider raking the fallen leaves into a compost pile.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rake
Verb
  • Attorneys for the city, petitioners and objectors have combed through Kane County voter registration records, according to Raymond Esquivel, Kane County director of elections.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Trump likely does not comb through his budget requests line-by-line, especially for a civil space agency.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of comb
Verb
  • Much of that is because of Bowers, arguably the most talented tight end league-wide, but also because Mayer has found success in Kubiak’s heavy sets, and Thomas continues to provide value as a blocker.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Red walls, heavy draperies with swags and fringe, and jacquard fabrics with gold accents could be found in many homes.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • While LinkedIn matchmakers are strictly prohibited under the platform’s guidelines, professional matchmakers recommend researching potential partners online, including scanning their LinkedIn profiles.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many shuffled between the help desk and the hospital notice board, clutching photographs and scanning injured patients' lists in the hope of finding them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scan

Phrases Containing dredge

Browse Nearby Words

dreck
dredge
dredged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dredge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dredge. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dredge

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dredge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All