magnet fishing
noun
: the sport or hobby of using a strong magnet attached to the end of a rope to find metal objects in bodies of water
Magnet fishing uses a strong magnet attached to a thick rope in an attempt to fish out metal objects that have sunk to the bottom of canals, lakes, ponds and rivers.—
Alisha Ebrahimji
Alisha Ebrahimji
magnet fish
intransitive verb
or less commonly magnet-fish
magnet fished also magnet-fished; magnet fishing also magnet-fishing; magnet fishes also magnet-fishes
If Wray was magnet fishing as stated in the story, he would struggle to find much silver. The precious metal is not magnetic so it is not possible for a piece of silver to be attracted to a magnet with enough force to be found as Wray described in the story.
—Liam Geraghty
Liam Geraghty
Walters says he has magnet-fished several times, pulling in knives, bait weights and other metal.
—Jon Burkett
Jon Burkett
Examples of magnet fishing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earlier this year, two military projectiles were pulled via magnet fishing from Massachusetts' Charles River, prompting an intervention from authorities to secure the objects.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
Kane and Agostini picked up magnet fishing as a hobby during the coronavirus pandemic to counter their boredom, Kane told NY1.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 4 June 2024
Kane and Agostini became interested in magnet fishing during COVID-19 and bought their first kit in 2023.
—Jennifer Vilcarino, ABC News, 3 June 2024
The law around keeping guns found while magnet fishing is murky.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
On April 14, someone uncovered a .22-caliber rifle while magnet fishing on Horse Creek in McRae-Helena, about an 80-mile drive southeast of Macon, investigators said in an April 22 news release.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
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David Chiu, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
Kane and Agostini picked up magnet fishing as a hobby during the coronavirus pandemic to counter their boredom, Kane told NY1.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 4 June 2024
Kane and Agostini became interested in magnet fishing during COVID-19 and bought their first kit in 2023.
—Jennifer Vilcarino, ABC News, 3 June 2024
The law around keeping guns found while magnet fishing is murky.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
On April 14, someone uncovered a .22-caliber rifle while magnet fishing on Horse Creek in McRae-Helena, about an 80-mile drive southeast of Macon, investigators said in an April 22 news release.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Magnet fishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnet%20fishing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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