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

At Lakehouse, the interns spent two hours on “Mission KPMG,” a scavenger hunt with eight activities, including separating AI-generated fact from fiction, as well as matching the firm’s AI tools to the best-use case.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

An anonymous someone has set up a scavenger hunt with sound-related clues for the pair to solve, plus an additional challenge: “Record what’s all around.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

It’s the reason meal kits feel so soothing — everything ready, nothing frantic, no mid-recipe scavenger hunt for a missing clove of garlic.

From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025

A “death file” should contain essential documents such as birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, life insurance policies, and a list of financial accounts to prevent a scavenger hunt for information.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025

I devised this scavenger hunt with the hope that anyone who made it to this point would appreciate my gift as the treasure it truly is and treat it as such.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman