nowhere to find

USAGE SUMMARY

"nowhere to find" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you are trying to express that something is difficult or impossible to locate. For example, "I searched the entire house but I couldn't find my car keys - they were nowhere to find."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Having been forced off their land, and with nowhere to find food and water, the Arrernte gathered in camps around the nascent town.

The Guardian

I had begged to write about Snowflake because I identified with the idea of sick people retreating to the middle of nowhere to find peace.

The Guardian

Still, when he started Dutchgrub in 2007, he could get excited about only a handful of restaurants, and there was nowhere to find decent pizza or a burger whose patty wasn't just plucked from a freezer.

The New York Times - Food

Over the last decade, satellite surged from nowhere to find itself in about a quarter of all U.S. homes that pay for television.

Forbes

"There was nowhere to find that stuff and I was obviously too embarrassed to ask strangers for it".

Vice

"We arrive at what can only be described as 'butt-fuck nowhere' to find a shooting range with a beat up car at the end of it.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

But Tina was nowhere to be found But Tina was nowhere to be found.

The New York Times

Nowhere to be found.

The New York Times

But "climate" was nowhere to be found.

The New Yorker

He was nowhere to be found.

The New York Times - Sports

Kermit was nowhere to be found.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nowhere to find" to emphasize the absence of something when searching or looking for it.

Common error

Avoid using "nowhere to find" when you mean something is simply difficult to find; it's best suited for situations where something is completely absent or its location is unknown.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nowhere to find" functions as an adverbial modifier, emphasizing the absence or impossibility of locating something. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's used to express that something is difficult or impossible to locate.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "nowhere to find" is a grammatically acceptable expression used to convey that something is extremely difficult or impossible to locate. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is valid and useful in expressing the absence of something after a search. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it carries a neutral tone. While acceptable, it's important to note that "nowhere to be found" is a more common and standard alternative. Use "nowhere to find" when you want to emphasize the act of searching and the subsequent inability to locate something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impossible to locate

Emphasizes the impossibility of finding something, focusing on the challenge.

cannot be located

A more formal and passive way of saying something cannot be found.

unable to be found

Highlights the inability to find something, stressing a lack of success.

cannot be traced

Focuses on the inability to track or follow something to its location.

elusive to locate

Suggests that something is difficult to find because it avoids being found.

not to be discovered

Implies a hidden or secret nature that prevents something from being found.

beyond reach

Indicates something is unattainable, either physically or metaphorically.

unreachable

Similar to 'beyond reach' but emphasizes a lack of accessibility.

out of reach

Highlights the inaccessibility of something, stressing distance or difficulty.

inaccessible

A formal term describing something that is not accessible or reachable.

FAQs

How can I use "nowhere to find" in a sentence?

You can use "nowhere to find" to indicate that something is impossible to locate. For example, "After hours of searching, the missing document was "nowhere to find"".

What are some alternatives to "nowhere to find"?

Alternatives include phrases like "impossible to locate", "cannot be located", or "unable to be found", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "nowhere to be found" instead of "nowhere to find"?

While "nowhere to find" is acceptable, "nowhere to be found" is more common and grammatically standard. The former emphasizes the act of searching, while the latter emphasizes the state of being unfindable.

What's the difference between saying something is "hard to find" versus "nowhere to find"?

"Hard to find" suggests difficulty in locating something, while "nowhere to find" implies it is either lost, missing, or does not exist in the expected place. ""nowhere to find"" is a stronger statement of absence.