If you use Google to navigate the Internet, this just might be the coolest thing you read today: There’s a simple operator that lets you search for a word and all of its synonyms. If you place a tilde (~) before the word or phrase you’re searching with no spaces between the tilde and its associated word, you’ll conduct a search for the word, its synonyms, and terms with alternate endings.
Why did Google use tilde? In math, the “~” symbol means “is similar to.” The tilde tells Google to search for pages that are synonyms or similar to the term that follows.
[ ~inexpensive ] matches “inexpensive,” “cheap,” “affordable,” and “low cost”
[ ~run ] matches “run,” “runner’s,” “running,” as well as “marathon”
Looking for a guide, help, tutorial, or tips on using Google?
[ google ~guide ]
Interested in food facts as well as nutrition and cooking information?
[ ~food ~facts ]
Note that this operator is a lot more helpful if you’re searching for words that actually have synonyms and a breadth of usage: searching ~bird ~advice will cast a broader net and presumably be more useful than searching ~lorikeet ~hypnotism.
More neat Google tricks in this thread.
(Stack Exchange via O’Reilly Radar. title image via Wikimedia Commons)
Published: Aug 2, 2010 09:18 am