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Synonyms

search party

American  

noun

  1. a group of persons conducting an organized search for someone or something lost or hidden.

search party British  

noun

  1. a group of people taking part in an organized search, as for a lost, missing, or wanted person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of search party

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Police say they understand he is an experienced bushman - or a person familiar with the wilderness - which presents a challenge for the search party hunting for him.

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025

When he was two years old, a search party of Buddhist officials recognised him as the reincarnation of the 13 previous Dalai Lamas and he was enthroned before he turned four.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

The search party walked slowly up Alvarado Street by MacArthur Park and turned right onto Wilshire Boulevard, filled with heartbreak and hope.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2024

Foote has yet to be located in a case that has riveted the community of 1,500 people, which has organized another search party to look for him this weekend.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024

Some of them are missing—a search party must have left.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.