rake around

rake around

1. Literally, to spread some substance or group of things around (some place or area) with or as if with a rake. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "rake" and "around." Be sure to rake the soil evenly around the flower bed. The detective raked the papers around on the table with her fingers so she could see all the evidence at once.
2. To search through and around some place or thing. I went raking around in the laundry basket for my keys, but I still couldn't find them.
See also: around, rake
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rake something around

to spread something around with a rake. She raked the leaves around, spreading them over the flower beds as natural fertilizer. I need to rake around the soil and stir it up.
See also: around, rake
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • rake up
  • rake over
  • rake together
  • rake out
  • angle
  • angling
  • piece out
  • orient
  • orient to
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
If a designer manager such as Keane is to be secured then he will not come cheaply and neither will he be prepared to rake around in the bargain bins this summer.
Aberdeen's eight cameras issued around 120 fines per day, meaning they are likely to rake around PS1.3million.
Future James Bonds or George Smileys would like to be able to rake around in the data to find out what sites suspected criminals or terrorists visited, how long they spent there, where they sent emails and who they've been chatting to online though Skype.
So he was ready to rake around the three-mile Down Royal circuit in a Subaru Impreza WRC rally car, piloted by Irish legend Denis Biggerstaff.
So we had a little rake around and came up with these options...
Celtic can rake around in the boardroom for the resources to buy a new hitman.
These fans will not sit back quietly if their manager is forced to rake around in the basement barrels of the transfer market on the back of two Champions League campaigns which will have brought in some the where in the region of pounds 25m-pounds 30m.
If you like a good old rake around jumble sales, then don't miss the Sunday morning flea market at Marolles.
The news will also come as a boost to manager O'Neill, who has been left to rake around the transfer market's bargain barrels over the last three years, with the club making little more than pounds 1m a year in domestic TV revenue.
And it might be worth your while to have a quick rake around your attic for hidden treasure.
The news will also come as a boost to manager O'Neill who has been left to rake around the transfer market's bargain bins during the last three years,with the club making little more thanpounds 1m a year in domestic TV revenue.
Of course there will be pseudo-historians who will whinge on about ancient traditions and rake around on the margins of life defending their culture but let's not allow them to disgrace the word culture, when what they really mean is hate swathed in rituals.
Cathy Reid, of the Scottish label Babe, said: "When we get the sun as early as this, you do find people tend to rake around their wardrobe and make do with last year's gear.
I predict it will be an unhappy summer for the Jags, losing players they can no longer afford and having to rake around in the bargain basement for someone willing to play for peanuts.