# root around

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/root-around
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Alternative form of root about.

## Examples

- I root around in my bag for my keys.
- She spent ten minutes rooting around in the attic, looking for her grandmother's old letters.
- The detective rooted around in the dusty archives until midnight, searching for any document that might exonerate the wrongly accused man.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.