More than 90 percent of visits to a web page are from search engines.
Source: tatoeba (2248)
Search
/sɜːt͡ʃ/
Synonyms for "search" (251 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (51)
Noun(15 words)
Strong matches (75)
fish forfollowfollow upforagefriskgive chasego aftergo gunning forgo intogo throughgropegrubgun forhollo afterhoundhouse-searchhunthunt forhunt uphunting
Show 18 more words
indagateinquireinquire ofinquiryinspectinspectioninvestigatelooklook aroundlook atlook forlook intolook overlook roundlook throughlook upmake aftermine
Noun(23 words)
foragesforaging habitsforaging patternforaging patternsforaging strategyfriskingfrisksgooglegrepgropinghuntedhuntinghuntsinquiryinspectinvestigateinvestigationinvestigation teamletalooks
Show 3 more words
Adjective(2 words)
intense pursuitmore danish frisk
Determiner(1 words)
more foraging
Related words (125)
Noun(46 words)
nose aroundpeer intoperquisitionperusalplumbpokepoke aroundpoke intoposseprobeprosecuteprowl afterprypry intopursualpursuancepursuepursuingpursuitquest
Show 45 more words
quest afterraise the huntrakeransackransackingresearchresearchingriflerootrummagerun afterrun downscanscourscouringscout outscrimmagescrutinizescrutinysearch forsearch intosearch partysearch throughsearch warrantsearch-and-destroy operationsearchingsee toseekseek forseek outseekingshake downsiftsiftingskirmishsmell aroundsoundstalkstalkingstill huntstill-huntstudytake out aftertry to findturning over
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: hunt, lookup, seek, analysis, angle for.
- Sentence evidence is available for search, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
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 "search".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "search"
Keep "search" 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 "search" 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 "search", 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 "search" 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
24 entriesactactionactivitydata accesseffortexaminationexaminehigher cognitive processinvestigateinvestigatinginvestigationlearnlooklook into
Showing 16 of 24 words.
More specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
11 entriesconduct a searchdo a searchlibrary searchmake a searchsearch enginesearch for informationsearch querysearch resultssearch termsearch the dataweb search
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriesSample sentences
27 total sentences available.
The bear left no stone unturned in his search for fat bugs under the rocks.
Source: tatoeba (18080)
Many men went west in search of gold.
Source: tatoeba (18553)
We all went in search of gold.
Source: tatoeba (23126)
Showing 4 of 27 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "search"?
Closest matches include hunt, lookup, seek, analysis, angle for.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "search"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.