Use Boolean Operators in MSN Search to fine-tune your searches

MSN Search contains a fairly advanced search engine more advanced, in some ways, than Google. One of the cool things about MSN Search is that you can use Boolean operators to fine-tune your searches. All you have to do is insert the appropriate operators when you enter your query in the search box and MSN Search will narrow your search accordingly.

Using AND

The first Boolean operator you can use with MSN Search is the AND operator. You use the AND operator to make sure that search results include both (or all) the words in your query. So, for example, you wanted to search for pages about Toyota Supras, you’d enter toyota AND supra.

Of course, you don’t actually have to use the AND operator; all MSN searches are AND searches by default. So the AND is implied, and including it in your query is superfluous. Sorry.

Using OR

More interesting is the OR operator. You use the OR operator to conduct either/or searches. So, for example, if you wanted to search for pages about either hurricanes or tornadoes, you’d enter hurricanes OR tornadoes. The search results page will include hurricane pages, tornado pages, and even (but not exclusively) pages about both hurricanes and tornadoes.

Using NOT

The third Boolean operator supported by MSN Search is the NOT operator. You use the NOT operator to exclude specified words from your search results. So, for example, if you wanted to search for all Presidents of the United States except for Richard Nixon, you’d enter presidents NOT nixon.

MSN Search also lets you use the non-Boolean “plus” (+) and “minus” (-) operators to include and exclude words from your search.