Also means
to round up, to sweep
Usage Note
Rastrellare literally means to rake (as in gardening) but figuratively — and very commonly in news Italian — means to sweep or comb an area in a police or military operation (rastrellare la zona — to sweep the area). The noun rastrellamento refers to such a search operation or roundup. It takes avere as its auxiliary.
Examples
"La polizia ha rastrellato l'intera zona."
Natural Translation
The police combed the entire area.
Related Words
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