comb
noun
a toothed strip of plastic, hard rubber, bone, wood, or metal, used for arranging the hair, untangling it, or holding it in place.
were combing
-
past progressiveof comb.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
On Sunday, lines of police officers were combing the ground near the car, a Citroen minivan with a Berlin number plate, in the search for clues and taking samples of material from the ground.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Many Venezuelans were combing through wreckage in search of loved ones, while others turned to social media in an effort to find relatives and friends who had vanished in the disaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
The police chief said officers were combing through thousands of the suspect's social media posts, but added that Dorgan's gender identity was "irrelevant to the investigation at this point".
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
Beccuau said investigators were combing through extensive video footage to track the movements of the Louvre thieves, who were followed on surveillance cameras across Paris and into neighboring areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
After a half hour or so, this made Mark realize that they were combing the area between the camp and the direction they’d gone last night.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
