Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Agriculture Department ferreted data from 28 states and says it found nearly 186,000 dead recipients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

In a clever bit of detective work, Yale legal scholar Reva Siegel has ferreted out the vital role that this “seminar” plays in the originalist ecosystem:

From Slate • May 14, 2024

“Good cops want bad cops ferreted out,” Jenkins said in a recent interview.

From Washington Post • Mar. 20, 2023

This is a conventionally structured drama: two characters, a single set, the requisite amount of family conflict, a few ferreted out secrets and a dark shadow of menacing politics.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2022

Julia jumped out, opened the boot, ferreted through her box of records, and ran back up the drive.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell