I have a terminal, some of whose lines look like this:

./cw:108: attempt to call method 'slice' (a nil value)
{__le=function: 0x1f77fc0,relems=function: 0x1f7df40,rep=function: 0x1f68150,concat=function: 0x1f60240,slice=function: 0x1f897c0,zipWith=function: 0x1f78b40,transpose=function: 0x1f892e0,tail=function: 0x1f67ed0,shape=function: 0x1f78ae0,reverse=function: 0x1f89520,project=function: 0x1f78a80,mapWith=function: 0x1f78a50,__lt=function: 0x1f67d30,cons=function: 0x1f81cd0,indexKey=function: 0x1f78960,__concat=function: 0x1f60240,flatten=function: 0x1f888d0,__append=function: 0x1f82e80,map=function: 0x1f78a20,foldr=function: 0x1f780b0,foldl=function: 0x1f78050,indexValue=function: 0x1f789c0,depair=function: 0x1f888a0,filter=function: 0x1f77ff0,append=function: 0x1f82e80,elems=function: 0x1f76610,compare=function: 0x1f77f90}
./cw:108: attempt to call method 'slice' (a nil value)
{__le=function: 0x1f77fc0,relems=function: 0x1f7df40,rep=function: 0x1f68150,concat=function: 0x1f60240,slice=function: 0x1f897c0,zipWith=function: 0x1f78b40,transpose=function: 0x1f892e0,tail=function: 0x1f67ed0,shape=function: 0x1f78ae0,reverse=function: 0x1f89520,project=function: 0x1f78a80,mapWith=function: 0x1f78a50,__lt=function: 0x1f67d30,cons=function: 0x1f81cd0,indexKey=function: 0x1f78960,__concat=function: 0x1f60240,flatten=function: 0x1f888d0,__append=function: 0x1f82e80,map=function: 0x1f78a20,foldr=function: 0x1f780b0,foldl=function: 0x1f78050,indexValue=function: 0x1f789c0,depair=function: 0x1f888a0,filter=function: 0x1f77ff0,append=function: 0x1f82e80,elems=function: 0x1f76610,compare=function: 0x1f77f90}
./cw:108: attempt to call method 'slice' (a nil value)
{__le=function: 0x1f77fc0,relems=function: 0x1f7df40,rep=function: 0x1f68150,concat=function: 0x1f60240,slice=function: 0x1f897c0,zipWith=function: 0x1f78b40,transpose=function: 0x1f892e0,tail=function: 0x1f67ed0,shape=function: 0x1f78ae0,reverse=function: 0x1f89520,project=function: 0x1f78a80,mapWith=function: 0x1f78a50,__lt=function: 0x1f67d30,cons=function: 0x1f81cd0,indexKey=function: 0x1f78960,__concat=function: 0x1f60240,flatten=function: 0x1f888d0,__append=function: 0x1f82e80,map=function: 0x1f78a20,foldr=function: 0x1f780b0,foldl=function: 0x1f78050,indexValue=function: 0x1f789c0,depair=function: 0x1f888a0,filter=function: 0x1f77ff0,append=function: 0x1f82e80,elems=function: 0x1f76610,compare=function: 0x1f77f90}
./cw:108: attempt to call method 'slice' (a nil value)

Note that the parts between {...} are single logical lines (only one LF).

When I search for the word "slice", terminal only finds the matches in the context "attempt to call method 'slice'", and not in "slice=function". Similarly, if I search for the word "function", it only finds a couple of instances in each stanza, not all of them.

I have all 3 options "Match case", "Match entire word only" and "Match as regular expression" off.

If I search for "slice=" it finds those instances. Note that "function" always appears in the context "=function:", so it doesn't seem to be a problem with the precise surrounding text.