hunt out
B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words
Search carefully until you find something that was put away or is hard to locate.
Literal meaning: To hunt (search) and bring it out from where it is — quite transparent.
Meanings
1 B2 informal
To search through belongings, records, or storage until you find a specific item.
"I'll hunt out those old photographs from the attic and bring them to the reunion."
Grammar: separable
2 B2 informal
To actively seek out a person who is difficult to find or contact.
"I had to hunt out the original author of the report to get the full data."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
More common in British English. Often used when someone is looking for a specific item stored among other things, or for information that requires effort to find. Suggests thoroughness and persistence.
Commonly used with
documents recipe old photos contact files information
Forms
Base
hunt out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hunts out
he/she/it
Past simple
hunted out
yesterday
Past participle
hunted out
have + pp
-ing form
hunting out
continuous
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Synonyms
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