diff --git a/include/openmc/geometry.h b/include/openmc/geometry.h
index 258153502e..0681952ad1 100644
--- a/include/openmc/geometry.h
+++ b/include/openmc/geometry.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ bool check_cell_overlap(Particle& p, bool error=true);
 //! \return True if the particle's location could be found and ascribed to a
 //!   valid geometry coordinate stack.
 //==============================================================================
-bool brute_force_find_cell(Particle& p);
+bool exhaustive_find_cell(Particle& p);
 bool neighbor_list_find_cell(Particle& p); // Only usable on surface crossings
 
 //==============================================================================
diff --git a/include/openmc/plot.h b/include/openmc/plot.h
index 295a7b8747..7b66c66965 100644
--- a/include/openmc/plot.h
+++ b/include/openmc/plot.h
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ T PlotBase::get_map() const {
         p.r()[in_i] = xyz[in_i] + in_pixel * x;
         p.n_coord_ = 1;
         // local variables
-        bool found_cell = brute_force_find_cell(p);
+        bool found_cell = exhaustive_find_cell(p);
         j = p.n_coord_ - 1;
         if (level >= 0) { j = level; }
         if (found_cell) {
diff --git a/src/geometry.cpp b/src/geometry.cpp
index 84b37dc1a9..8e6519fa86 100644
--- a/src/geometry.cpp
+++ b/src/geometry.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ find_cell_inner(Particle& p, const NeighborList* neighbor_list)
 
   // Check successively lower coordinate levels until finding material fill
   for (;;++p.n_coord_) {
-    // If neighbor lists did not find a cell, must do brute force search
+    // If neighbor lists did not find a cell, must do exhaustive search
     if (i_cell == C_NONE) {
       int i_universe = p.coord_[p.n_coord_-1].universe;
       const auto& univ {*model::universes[i_universe]};
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ bool neighbor_list_find_cell(Particle& p)
   return found;
 }
 
-bool brute_force_find_cell(Particle& p)
+bool exhaustive_find_cell(Particle& p)
 {
   int i_universe = p.coord_[p.n_coord_-1].universe;
   if (i_universe == C_NONE) {
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ cross_lattice(Particle& p, const BoundaryInfo& boundary)
   if (!lat.are_valid_indices(i_xyz)) {
     // The particle is outside the lattice.  Search for it from the base coords.
     p.n_coord_ = 1;
-    bool found = brute_force_find_cell(p);
+    bool found = exhaustive_find_cell(p);
     if (!found && p.alive_) {
       p.mark_as_lost(fmt::format("Could not locate particle {} after "
         "crossing a lattice boundary", p.id_));
@@ -324,13 +324,13 @@ cross_lattice(Particle& p, const BoundaryInfo& boundary)
   } else {
     // Find cell in next lattice element.
     p.coord_[p.n_coord_-1].universe = lat[i_xyz];
-    bool found = brute_force_find_cell(p);
+    bool found = exhaustive_find_cell(p);
 
     if (!found) {
       // A particle crossing the corner of a lattice tile may not be found.  In
       // this case, search for it from the base coords.
       p.n_coord_ = 1;
-      bool found = brute_force_find_cell(p);
+      bool found = exhaustive_find_cell(p);
       if (!found && p.alive_) {
         p.mark_as_lost(fmt::format("Could not locate particle {} after "
           "crossing a lattice boundary", p.id_));
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ openmc_find_cell(const double* xyz, int32_t* index, int32_t* instance)
   p.r() = Position{xyz};
   p.u() = {0.0, 0.0, 1.0};
 
-  if (!brute_force_find_cell(p)) {
+  if (!exhaustive_find_cell(p)) {
     set_errmsg(fmt::format("Could not find cell at position {}.", p.r()));
     return OPENMC_E_GEOMETRY;
   }
diff --git a/src/particle.cpp b/src/particle.cpp
index 3273ef4ccc..2e24131742 100644
--- a/src/particle.cpp
+++ b/src/particle.cpp
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ Particle::event_calculate_xs()
   // initiate a search for the current cell. This generally happens at the
   // beginning of the history and again for any secondary particles
   if (coord_[n_coord_ - 1].cell == C_NONE) {
-    if (!brute_force_find_cell(*this)) {
+    if (!exhaustive_find_cell(*this)) {
       this->mark_as_lost("Could not find the cell containing particle "
         + std::to_string(id_));
       return;
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
   // Remove lower coordinate levels and assignment of surface
   surface_ = 0;
   n_coord_ = 1;
-  bool found = brute_force_find_cell(*this);
+  bool found = exhaustive_find_cell(*this);
 
   if (settings::run_mode != RunMode::PLOTTING && (!found)) {
     // If a cell is still not found, there are two possible causes: 1) there is
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
     // Couldn't find next cell anywhere! This probably means there is an actual
     // undefined region in the geometry.
 
-    if (!brute_force_find_cell(*this)) {
+    if (!exhaustive_find_cell(*this)) {
       this->mark_as_lost("After particle " + std::to_string(id_) +
         " crossed surface " + std::to_string(surf->id_) +
         " it could not be located in any cell and it did not leak.");
diff --git a/src/volume_calc.cpp b/src/volume_calc.cpp
index 46fc8352a2..7d6739bc0b 100644
--- a/src/volume_calc.cpp
+++ b/src/volume_calc.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ std::vector<VolumeCalculation::Result> VolumeCalculation::execute() const
         p.u() = {0.5, 0.5, 0.5};
 
         // If this location is not in the geometry at all, move on to next block
-        if (!brute_force_find_cell(p))
+        if (!exhaustive_find_cell(p))
           continue;
 
         if (domain_type_ == TallyDomain::MATERIAL) {