comb through
To look through something very carefully, checking every single part, like a detective looking for clues.
Meanings
To search or examine something — such as documents, data, or an area — very carefully and systematically.
"Investigators combed through hours of CCTV footage looking for the suspect."
"Detectives combed through the wreckage for clues."
— BBC News, 2001 (reporting on the investigation following the Paddington rail crash)
To literally draw a comb through hair from root to tip to check or detangle it.
"She carefully combed through the child's wet hair before bedtime."
Very common in journalism, law enforcement, research, and academic contexts. The metaphor is of a fine-toothed comb catching every strand. Often used with abstract objects: 'comb through the evidence', 'comb through the data'.
Commonly used with
Forms
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