wühlen
rummage
In einer Menge von Dingen oder in der Erde mit den Händen suchen und dabei alles durcheinanderbringen.
The German word "wühlen" is a verb that means "to rummage," "to dig," or "to fossick." It conveys the idea of searching through something in a thorough or messy way, often implying physical activity, like digging through a pile of items or soil.
The root "wuhl" refers to a motion of displacing or scrambling through items. Similar words in German include "graben" (to dig), "kramen" (to rummage or search through), and "suchen" (to search).
The difference lies primarily in the nuance of intent and activity: while "wühlen" emphasizes a strong, somewhat disorganized search, "graben" usually refers specifically to digging, and "kramen" can imply a more gentle rummaging.
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Examples
Warum wühlst du ständig in meiner Tasche?verb
Why do you constantly rummage in my bag?
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