rifling

verb

Definition of riflingnext
present participle of rifle
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 rifling Minutes later, Kryou responded, cutting to the middle before rifling a quick shot past Jakub Dobes. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Canale made 15 clearances, the most of anyone on the pitch, and scored the winning penalty, rifling the ball high into the net past Manuel Neuer. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 June 2026 The woman’s daughter showed investigators video footage showing Robinson rifling through the woman’s drawers, selecting items and hiding them on her body. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 5 June 2026 On solo trips, there’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere and rifling through a mess of clothes; these cubes keep everything organized from lift‑off to landing. — Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026 Who better to tell the tale of the city than the man who has spent years rifling through its junk? — Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 Adding to the chaos of the moment, Courtney encountered a bear rifling through the garbage outside. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 Restaurant workers saw Wyatt rifling through the vehicle, taking things out and looking for something to steal, Batista said. — Nicole Hensley, Houston Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026 Heise worked her way into the left faceoff circle before rifling a shot just under the crossbar to give the Frost the win and keep Vancouver winless on the road. — CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifling
  1. searching
  2. scanning
  3. combing
Verb
  • Smith, who spends hours signing and searching for professional basketball and hockey players, has noticed a slight shift in their mindsets.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The then-53-year-old Highsmith had no idea she’d been kidnapped or that her family had spent decades searching for her.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of searching
Verb
  • Unusual states at edges The team examined its molecular assembly using a scanning tunneling microscope.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Visit during opening hours to control the lights and playlist by scanning a QR code — and on Halloween play carnival games in the garage.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of scanning
Verb
  • Police arrested him again in April 2023 and started combing through the forest more systematically and exhuming mass graves.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Stocks, the OneLegacy nurse, realized OPOs have data that could help patients advocate for themselves, and started combing records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of combing

Browse Nearby Words

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rifling
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Cite this Entry

“Rifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rifling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rifling

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