thinly to find

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thinly to find" is not correct and does not make sense in written English.
It seems to be an incorrect combination of words that lacks clarity and meaning. Example: "I searched thinly to find the missing document, but it was nowhere to be found."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

You'd have to slice the definition of neighborhoods rather thinly to find a few areas that support Gingrich's position.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

One of my children was recently horrified to find herself the thinly disguised subject of some malicious writings her peers described as "literature" and posted on a "fan fiction" site where almost anything goes.

The New York Times - Tech

Though a nearby location of Osha Thai Noodle Cafe stays open later, Lers Ros Thai in the Tenderloin has become a destination for striking regional dishes that can be hard to find elsewhere, like thinly sliced smoky pork shoulder, duck larb and stir-fried pork belly with basil.

The New York Times - Food

Real, as opposed to imaginary, human life provides so much ready-made material for the novelist that it is not surprising to find in many novels a mere thinly disguised and minimally reorganized representation of actuality.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Instead, the only point of unity inside the GOP is its gleeful hatred of Hillary Clinton, and its thinly veiled disdain for a nominee who has yet to find a politician he can't insult.

The Guardian - Opinion

Two remaining problem areas are the remote provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, in northeastern Afghanistan, where 50 to 100 members of Al Qaeda continue to find sanctuary, and where Afghan and American forces are very thinly spread, he acknowledged.

The New York Times

It's much harder to find buyers for customized contracts that, by definition, are at best thinly traded.

The New York Times

He is shocked to find that members of Congress write letters to the Treasury Department that are thinly disguised press releases.

Huffington Post

Served thinly sliced and piled into a panini, it makes one of the great sandwiches of Italy, though hard to find or to make here.

The New York Times - Food

I was enchanted to find a park sign filled with poetry rather than the usual mishmash of information, rules, and thinly veiled threats.

The New Yorker

Healthcare is not useful if it's impossible to find a doctor because NO ONE is accepting new patients, and everyone's politeness looks like thinly-veiled aggression.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

If you want to express a superficial search you can use: "searched lightly" or "scanned quickly".

Common error

A common mistake is to incorrectly place adverbs like "thinly" directly before "to find". This construction doesn't follow standard English grammar. Instead, consider using "difficult to find" or "hard to locate" to express the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thinly to find" doesn't have a clear grammatical function due to its incorrect structure. It attempts to combine an adverb with an infinitive in a way that is not standard English. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "thinly to find" is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity in standard English. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. It appears infrequently and is not recommended for use in formal writing. When attempting to convey a similar meaning, consider using alternative phrases such as "difficult to find" or "hard to locate". The provided examples illustrate the varying contexts in which related terms are used, but none support the usage of "thinly to find".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarcely to discover

Replaces "thinly" with "scarcely", emphasizing the limited degree of searching or the limited availability of what is being searched for.

lightly to locate

Substitutes "thinly" with "lightly" and "find" with "locate", suggesting a superficial search or discovery process.

hardly to uncover

Changes "thinly" to "hardly" and "find" to "uncover", conveying the difficulty in revealing or exposing something.

infrequently to encounter

Replaces "thinly" with "infrequently" and "find" with "encounter", highlighting the rarity of the meeting or discovery.

seldom to come across

Uses "seldom" instead of "thinly" and "come across" for "find", emphasizing the infrequency of the discovery.

rarely to stumble upon

Changes "thinly" to "rarely" and "find" to "stumble upon", suggesting an accidental or infrequent discovery.

remotely to detect

Substitutes "thinly" with "remotely" and "find" with "detect", highlighting the low probability of noticing or discovering something.

unlikely to reveal

Replaces "thinly find" with "unlikely to reveal", focusing on the improbable nature of the revealing.

uncommonly to ascertain

Uses "uncommonly" instead of "thinly" and "ascertain" for "find", highlighting how rare the discovery is.

unusually to discover

Changes "thinly" to "unusually", emphasizing the unexpected nature of the discovery.

FAQs

What does "thinly to find" mean?

The phrase "thinly to find" is not standard English and doesn't have a clear meaning. It seems to be an incorrect combination of words.

How can I correct the phrase "thinly to find" in a sentence?

Instead of "thinly to find", try using phrases like "difficult to find", "hard to locate", or "rarely to find" depending on the intended meaning.

Is "thinly to find" grammatically correct?

No, "thinly to find" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The adverb "thinly" doesn't fit well with the infinitive "to find".

What are some alternatives to "thinly to find"?

Some possible alternatives include "difficult to locate", "hard to discover", or rephrasing the sentence to convey the intended meaning more clearly.