scavenger hunt

noun

1. a game in which individuals or teams are sent out to accumulate, without purchasing, a series of common, outlandish, or humorous objects, the winner being the person or team returning first with all the items.

scavenger hunt

noun

1. a game in which players are required to collect an assortment of miscellaneous items: usually played outdoors

Word History and Origins

Origin of scavenger hunt¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

Those who visit the gardens can participate in scavenger hunts and bike rides.

From Washington Post

As in the last episode, which involved a scavenger hunt and a Secret Santa exchange of gifts related to iconic moments from the show, they are playing obviously orchestrated games that allow for smooth transitions into flashbacks to earlier episodes.

From The Daily Beast

When she was hired by Fairfax, Keaney’s passion for the markers spilled into her work in the form of the annual “History Hunters” scavenger hunt.

From Washington Post

She continued those lectures, as well as the scavenger hunt, through the coronavirus pandemic.

From Washington Post

For years, Maura Keaney has sent fourth-graders on a scavenger hunt into the past, asking students to traverse Virginia with their families in search of historical markers.

From Washington Post

The eggs are disbursed throughout the five boroughs and a citywide scavenger hunt ensues.

From The Daily Beast

For Fashion Week, Band of Outsiders traded the runway for the road with a social-media scavenger hunt around NYC.

From The Daily Beast

Life is a scavenger hunt run backward as well as forward, a race to comprehend.

From The Daily Beast