scavenger hunt

American  

noun

scavenger hunts plural

1. a game in which individuals or teams are sent out to accumulate, without purchasing, a series of common, outlandish, or humorous objects, the winner being the person or team returning first with all the items.

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scavenger hunt British  

noun

1. a game in which players are required to collect an assortment of miscellaneous items: usually played outdoors

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• scavenger hunts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scavenger hunt

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Compare meaning

How does scavenger-hunt compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• scavenger hunt vs. treasure hunt

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scavenger hunt

The logo challenge was one of several exercises designed to use those skills, alongside a scavenger hunt and a whodunnit fraud exercise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Finding the best pint in a given city has become a digital scavenger hunt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

The death file prevents the scavenger hunt that most families have to go on to find stuff.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025

Those who complete the mini scavenger hunt will be given a free gift at Paper Plant, which Niimura is keeping a secret.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025

She was debating whether to pretend to have left something in the restaurant again or be direct and say they were on a scavenger hunt, when a breeze rustled the flyer tacked to the tree.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman