manhunt
n.an organized search by many people, especially the police, to find a criminal or someone who has escaped. It usually involves a large area and a lot of effort.
n.an intensive, large-scale search for a person, typically a fugitive or suspected criminal, conducted by law enforcement or military forces.
“The police started a massive manhunt for the escaped prisoner.”
“After the bank robbery, authorities launched a nationwide manhunt to track down the suspects before they could cross the border.”
“The investigation culminated in a high-stakes manhunt across the rugged mountain terrain, involving hundreds of officers and thermal imaging technology to locate the fugitive.”
Often used with verbs like 'launch', 'conduct', or 'organize'.
From man + hunt.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.