manhunt

This term carries a high-stakes, urgent connotation, typically associated with law enforcement, national security, or high-profile criminal investigations. It suggests a systematic, large-scale operation involving multiple agencies and significant resources, rather than a casual or small-scale search.

While the word contains the root "man," it is gender-neutral in modern usage, referring to the search for any human fugitive regardless of gender. It is almost exclusively used in the context of capturing someone who is fleeing justice or is missing under suspicious circumstances.