One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Synonyms of search in English:
search
See definition of search
verb
1‘we searched for clues’
hunt, look, explore, forage, fish about, fish around, look high and low, cast about, cast around, cast round, ferret, ferret about, ferret around, root about, root around, rummage about, rummage around
seek, scout out, pursue
2‘he searched the house thoroughly’
look around, look round, explore, probe, hunt through, look through, scrabble about in, scrabble around in, root about in, root around in, ferret in, ferret about in, ferret around in, rummage about in, rummage around in, rummage in, rummage through, forage through, fish about in, fish around in, poke around in, dig in, grub about in, grub around in, delve in, go through, sift through, rifle through, scour, comb, ransack, turn over, go through with a fine-tooth comb
turn upside down, turn inside out, leave no stone unturned in
British informal rootle around in
NZ Australian informal fossick through
NZ informal poozle
rare roust around in
3‘these statutes enable the police to stop and search suspects’
examine, inspect, check, frisk
informal give someone a once-over, give someone the once-over
noun
1‘we continued our search for a hotel’
hunt, look, exploration, scout, probe, dig, digging, forage, foraging, scavenge, scavenging, ferreting, ferreting about, ferreting around, rummage, rummaging about, rummaging around, rooting about, rooting around, rifling, scouring, quest, pursuit of, seeking after
Phrases
I don't know, how should I know?, why ask me?, it's a mystery, I haven't an clue, I haven't an inkling, I haven't the least idea, I've no idea
dunno, don't ask me, I haven't the first idea, I haven't the first notion, I haven't the faintest, I haven't the foggiest, I haven't the faintest idea, I haven't the faintest notion, I haven't the foggiest idea, I haven't the foggiest notion, it beats me, ask me another
‘they are forced to travel in search of food’
searching for, hunting for, after, seeking, looking for, on the lookout for, in quest of, in pursuit of, on the track of, questing after, chasing after