rummage
verb (used with object)
to search thoroughly or actively through (a place, receptacle, etc.), especially by moving around, turning over, or looking through contents.
rummaged
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past participleof rummage.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof rummage.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
rummageverb (used with object)to search thoroughly or actively through (a place, receptacle, etc.), especially by moving around, turning over, or looking through contents.
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.
After taking a job at the Conference Board, a business research organization, he rummaged through libraries to unearth measures of railcar freight loading and trends in short staple cotton prices since the Civil War.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
She rummaged around for a second and suggested a triangle with an exclamation point in it, which would signal a bit of excitement but clear danger too.
From Slate ● Dec. 26, 2025
Sean and I shoved her rompers and sleep sacks into a backpack, rummaged through our clothes and grabbed enough underwear for an indeterminable amount of time away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
It has previously emerged that the weapon had been discovered by a man who often rummaged through the grocery store’s refuse to gather recyclable items.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2024
I went straight into the house, rummaged through my things, found an old mitten, and went back out and tied it to the pump handle.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
