Security experts believe Apple’s fingerprint scanning technology senses whether a digit is attached to a living human, so severed phalanges should prove unsuccessful for unlocking a stolen iPhone.
Source: tatoeba (2762001)
Scanning
/ˈskænɪŋ/
Synonyms for "scanning" (95 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (19)
alliterative meteranalyzingantispasticautomatic trackingcadencedclassifyingcollatingcomputer technologycomputer typesettingcomputingdactylicdata processingdata retrievaldata transmission
Adjective(1 words)
archival processing
Strong matches (29)
Noun(8 words)
Related words (47)
pinpointingprecision focusingprosodicprosodic patternprosodypyrrhicquantitative meterradar navigationradar-telephone relayrange findingreportingrhythmicrhythmicalscan conversionscansionshadingsignal modulationsortingspondaicstabreim
Show 11 more words
switchingsyllabic metertelecastingtelevisingthree-pointingtrackingtriangulationtriggering signalstrochaicvers libreversification
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: alliterative meter, analyzing, antispastic, archival processing, automatic tracking.
- Sentence evidence is available for scanning, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "scanning".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "scanning"
Keep "scanning" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "scanning" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "scanning", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "scanning" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
17 entriesdescriptive adjectivediagnostic proceduredigital artifactdigital imageevaluationexaminationimaginginformation retrievalinspectionliterature reviewmeasurementmedical imagingphotographyreading strategyreplicationreproduction
Showing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
25 entries3D scanningCT scanCT scanningMRI scanMRI scanningPET scanPET scanningarea scanningdatabase querydetailed inspectiondigital copydocument scanfrequency sweepkeyword scanningkeyword searchline by line scanning
Showing 16 of 25 words.
Collocations
13 entriesCT scanningMRI scanningPET scanningdata scanningdocument scanningmedical scanningscanning datascanning electron microscopyscanning methodscanning processscanning protocolscanning techniqueultrasound scanning
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
The eagle perched atop the cliff, scanning the valley spread out beneath it.
Source: tatoeba (3764946)
Dan spent hours scanning dozens of pages of Linda's diary.
Source: tatoeba (4009372)
Sami was scanning the backyard.
Source: tatoeba (7266155)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "scanning"?
Closest matches include alliterative meter, analyzing, antispastic, archival processing, automatic tracking.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "scanning"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.