as in investigations
a systematic search for the truth or facts about something
a congressional probe into the accusations
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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
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The film depicts a human mission to Jupiter, yet in reality only robotic probes had reached the planet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Some voting rights experts warn the high-profile seizure could spur copycat law-enforcement election probes nationwide and undermine trust in the security and integrity of elections.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Blanche was frequently seen with Bondi and backed the department's probes into the president's opponents, such as former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired, and the administration's immigration enforcement operation.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Other probes are continuing, including an internal Sheriff’s Department investigation into the disappearance of a second grenade associated with the incident.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The system’s ability to operate across different mission modes—from orbiters to descent probes and aerial platforms—further enhances its versatility and scientific value.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
The man was allegedly Tased three times, once directly with the probes, and suffered a broken rib.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
The initial focus of the probes is admissions, a Justice Department official said, leaving open the possibility that the investigations will expand to other areas.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With a different school as the backdrop for each chapter, the series probes the ambitions, secrets, and corruptions that fester within institutions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
Department of Justice probes Indiana University's scholarship programs.
—Evan Frank, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
Born in Guangzhou and based in Beijing, the 47-year-old Cao is known for her work that probes into the human condition amid technological transformation.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
The testimony comes as the committee probes Smith's actions during his time as special counsel in the Biden administration.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The interim appointment comes a month after the Convention Center Authority parted ways with its former CEO Marcel Vernon, by way of a $500,00 severance agreement, as a state committee probes corruption allegations at the agency.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
In Sentimental Value, the writer-director Joachim Trier probes the real purpose of confessional art.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Aside from the annual financial review, the CSU’s internal auditing process also probes the 23 campuses in its system, including their auxiliaries.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
The science payload to be landed there includes seismometers, a drill to allow emplacement of heat flow and electrical conductivity probes, and instruments to study the magnetic field and surface weathering.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The film depicts a human mission to Jupiter, yet in reality only robotic probes had reached the planet.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Some voting rights experts warn the high-profile seizure could spur copycat law-enforcement election probes nationwide and undermine trust in the security and integrity of elections.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Blanche was frequently seen with Bondi and backed the department's probes into the president's opponents, such as former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired, and the administration's immigration enforcement operation.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Other probes are continuing, including an internal Sheriff’s Department investigation into the disappearance of a second grenade associated with the incident.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The system’s ability to operate across different mission modes—from orbiters to descent probes and aerial platforms—further enhances its versatility and scientific value.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
The man was allegedly Tased three times, once directly with the probes, and suffered a broken rib.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
The initial focus of the probes is admissions, a Justice Department official said, leaving open the possibility that the investigations will expand to other areas.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Hubble's images help track seasonal changes, while Webb's infrared vision probes different atmospheric layers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With a different school as the backdrop for each chapter, the series probes the ambitions, secrets, and corruptions that fester within institutions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
Department of Justice probes Indiana University's scholarship programs.
—Evan Frank, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
Born in Guangzhou and based in Beijing, the 47-year-old Cao is known for her work that probes into the human condition amid technological transformation.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
The testimony comes as the committee probes Smith's actions during his time as special counsel in the Biden administration.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
The interim appointment comes a month after the Convention Center Authority parted ways with its former CEO Marcel Vernon, by way of a $500,00 severance agreement, as a state committee probes corruption allegations at the agency.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
In Sentimental Value, the writer-director Joachim Trier probes the real purpose of confessional art.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Aside from the annual financial review, the CSU’s internal auditing process also probes the 23 campuses in its system, including their auxiliaries.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for probes
Noun
-
Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And with congressional primaries less than five months away, voters in both districts deserve full investigations and decisive action.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Big horizons meet daily realities as the instinctive Moon explores your pensive 9th house and squares Jupiter in your sensible 6th house.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Cheri Radke’s cozy fantasy debut explores impostor syndrome by way of an unusual succession crisis on the Isle of Summer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lauren Markham’s Immemorial, for example, part of our Undelivered Lectures series, searches for language amid the grief of climate catastrophe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Olivier Laxe, 114 minutes One of the best foreign films of 2025, this stunner tells the story of a father (Sergi Lopez) who searches the raves in Southern Morocco for his missing daughter.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The American Meteor Society has also been fielding a growing number of inquiries during this season.—
Briana Alvarado,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Barrett-Reis did not respond to inquiries for this article, including a message sent via LinkedIn and a letter sent to an address that appeared to be associated with her.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ben Schiffrin, a former attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, which investigates insider trading in stocks, told me.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against two recent incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in Queens as the New York City Police Department investigates the mid-March events as hate crimes.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These motifs evolve into deeper explorations of aggression and subcultural aesthetics, dedicating space to his film Trash Humpers and the Shadow Fux paintings.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
-
David George Haskell is a biologist acclaimed for his lyrical explorations of the living world.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their study examines the benefits and drawbacks of social and digital media use across the lifespan.—
Crista Marchesseault,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That is why the recent ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court allowing women to sit for the national rabbinical examinations feels so significant, and so deeply personal.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Included in the analysis were examinations of pay distribution, employment conditions, labor load and education rates of a demographic that makes up 39% of the Golden State’s labor force.—
Nicole Macias Garibay,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Probes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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