as in investigations
a systematic search for the truth or facts about something
a congressional probe into the accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in explores
to search through or into
tabloid reporters who seem determined to probe every detail of the singer's private life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of probes
Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
Following close behind are El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala and Argentina, each of which has five former presidents either facing or having faced criminal probes.
—Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
In the planning stages of the two-part Viking mission, which landed spacecraft on Mars in the mid-seventies, Sagan argued that the probes should include lights and cameras, in case creatures scurried past.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
The president of the University of Virginia resigned amid political pressure linked to federal probes.
—Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Since February, most staffers have been under a stop-work order that has effectively stalled the bulk of its probes — including ones into debanking.
—Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
The rocket will launch two NASA Mars probes to space, with a launch date currently set for September 29, according to Blue Origin.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
The space agency provides an interactive three-dimensional diagram tracking both Voyager probes' positions outside the solar system.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
This not only proves fruitless, but the probes seem to be hastening the closing of the wormhole.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Russia, too, regularly probes America’s northern flank.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Everett probes race, language, irony, and power with wit and moral clarity.
—Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Yet his memoir—a book very much in the spirit of William Hazlitt or Thomas De Quincey, and worthy of standing beside them—probes his descent into compulsion.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The Hill’s Emily Brooks probes those questions and others in her weekly newsletter covering conservative politics.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 8 July 2025
The series probes the human obsession with recognition through the prism of a man whose reputation, family and money have vanished overnight.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
The Justice Department has yet to announce any probes into the matter.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
Following close behind are El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala and Argentina, each of which has five former presidents either facing or having faced criminal probes.
—Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
In the planning stages of the two-part Viking mission, which landed spacecraft on Mars in the mid-seventies, Sagan argued that the probes should include lights and cameras, in case creatures scurried past.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
The president of the University of Virginia resigned amid political pressure linked to federal probes.
—Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Since February, most staffers have been under a stop-work order that has effectively stalled the bulk of its probes — including ones into debanking.
—Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2025
The rocket will launch two NASA Mars probes to space, with a launch date currently set for September 29, according to Blue Origin.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
The space agency provides an interactive three-dimensional diagram tracking both Voyager probes' positions outside the solar system.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
This not only proves fruitless, but the probes seem to be hastening the closing of the wormhole.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Amidst sexy scenes on and off the court and hilarious banter, Spencer also probes the more vulnerable, wounded parts of her character’s hearts.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Russia, too, regularly probes America’s northern flank.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Everett probes race, language, irony, and power with wit and moral clarity.
—Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Yet his memoir—a book very much in the spirit of William Hazlitt or Thomas De Quincey, and worthy of standing beside them—probes his descent into compulsion.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The Hill’s Emily Brooks probes those questions and others in her weekly newsletter covering conservative politics.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 8 July 2025
The series probes the human obsession with recognition through the prism of a man whose reputation, family and money have vanished overnight.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for probes
Noun
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The hashtag campaigns gained traction on TikTok and Reddit, leading to calls for asset investigations, anti-corruption reforms and even transferring the assets of the wealthy to public ownership.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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The criminal investigations chief spoke to ABC News about online betting risks.—
Patricio Chile,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The film explores the 1936-39 Arab Revolt in which Palestinians rose up against Britain’s colonial rule, against a backdrop of rising Jewish immigration following the country’s support for the establishment of a national home for the Jews in Palestine with the 1917 Balfour Declaration.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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Co-written with Claire Douglas, Hannah Ellis, and Jason Massey, the song explores the uneasy tendency to sabotage our own happiness, pairing wistful guitars with Velasco's soaring vocals.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once inside, Shamos searches for sensitive data, Apple Notes, Keychain items, browser passwords, and even cryptocurrency wallets.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Service organizations are seeing agents query records, answer questions, summarize cases, and increasingly resolve customer inquiries on their own.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The organization has also reported more than 37,000 inquiries from individuals seeking to launch new campus chapters.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
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The Office of Special Counsel, a role created by Congress nearly 50 years ago alongside the Merit Systems Protection Board, investigates claims about wrongdoing in the government, including whistleblower complaints.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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My previous writing on DataOps—including multipart explorations of industrial DataOps and continuous predictive maintenance—has been shaped by experiences working with IT/OT leaders and quality professionals who not only need data quickly, but who also need data that is reliable and audit-ready.—
Nagesh Nama,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Their explorations will include speaking with conservationists, tracking wolverines in the rugged North American backcountry, examining Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and more.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The report also examines platforms that go beyond simple scriptural guidance.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
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Now 70 years later, Lolita is still a source of fascination for scholars and readers alike — and a new anniversary edition of the novel examines its legacy up front.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Further examinations by team doctors showed nothing serious and Glasow was cleared to pitch Monday.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
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Further examinations revealed that the golden retriever TNNI3 mutation is autosomal recessive.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Probes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probes. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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