ferret out
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: - To discover or find (something, especially information) by determined and persistent searching, investigation, or questioning. It implies a thorough, diligent, and sometimes cunning effort to uncover something hidden or not readily available.
Usage
This verb is transitive and requires a direct object (the thing being discovered). It is often used in contexts involving research, detective work, journalism, or any situation requiring diligent inquiry to reveal facts.
Examples
- The journalist ferreted out the corruption scandal after months of interviews.
- She managed to ferret out the original documents from the dusty archives.
- Our goal is to ferret out the source of the error in the system.
- He has a talent for ferreting out great deals at antique markets.
Advanced Usage
- "to ferret out information/secrets/the truth": This is the most common collocation, emphasizing the process of uncovering specific, often concealed, knowledge.
- The committee's job was to ferret out the facts behind the allegations.
- The phrasal verb can be used in passive constructions.
- The cause of the disease was finally ferreted out by a team of researchers.
Variants and Related Words
- Ferret (verb): To search tenaciously for something. (e.g., )
- Ferret (noun): A small, domesticated polecat used historically for hunting rabbits and rodents, metaphorically inspiring the verb's meaning of searching persistently.
Synonyms
- Unearth: To find something buried or hidden.
- Root out: To find and remove something completely.
- Dig up: To discover information by searching.
- Track down: To find someone or something after a prolonged search.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(As the target term is itself a phrasal verb, this section lists other investigative phrasal verbs.) - Look into: To investigate or examine. - The police will look into the matter. - Run down: To find after searching. - I finally ran down that reference you mentioned.
Related Idioms
- Leave no stone unturned: To try every possible course of action in order to find something or solve a problem. This idiom conveys a similar sense of exhaustive searching as "ferret out."
- The detective left no stone unturned in his effort to ferret out the truth.
Verb
- search and discover through persistent investigation
- She ferreted out the truth