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query

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb query contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of query are ask, inquire, interrogate, and question. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

When might ask be a better fit than query?

In some situations, the words ask and query are roughly equivalent. However, ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

When can inquire be used instead of query?

While in some cases nearly identical to query, inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.

began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue

In what contexts can interrogate take the place of query?

The synonyms interrogate and query are sometimes interchangeable, but interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

Where would question be a reasonable alternative to query?

The words question and query are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of query
Noun
But for audiences willing to put this and other queries to the side, the streaming feature delivers. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025 The sheer scale of DNS infrastructure further complicates defense efforts, as organizations often struggle to monitor and secure the vast number of queries flowing through their networks. David Redekop, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
Related article Alzheimer’s risk rises when amount of deep sleep falls, study suggests Separately, the researchers queried family members about participants’ alcohol consumption. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025 The bug allowed unauthorized users to query the app's backend server and retrieve the call history for any Verizon number. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for query
Recent Examples of Synonyms for query
Noun
  • There's no doubt now that when history is being made on the course, golf fans take notice and tune in, making these events must-watch television.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Kuemper shows his regular-season form There isn’t any doubt that Winnipeg’s star goalie Connor Hellebuyck will take home his second consecutive Vezina Trophy and third of his career.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Treasury Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, 20, who was born in Grady County, Georgia, was held at the Leon County Jail, despite a judge being shown his birth certificate in court at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned the district’s defense that the books are being used to promote respect for others and to show that the world is diverse.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But critics have questioned why the church, historically a defender of human rights and Christian values, would willingly join forces with the Chinese government, which under leader Xi Jinping has further curtailed religious freedom.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Healthcare providers consider your medical history and ask about symptoms.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That theoretical episode would probably interrogate our obsession with watching people hurt and humiliate themselves online, but that theme has very little to do with the rest of the episode.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The history museums that were once a feature of many Soviet cities did not interrogate the life of Lenin.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But while much of the world looks at the newly friendly rapport between America and Russia with skepticism, Leake and his team see it as reason for optimism.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Frost was likely one of the few interviewers who would seriously engage the pair on a topic that was still viewed with skepticism by the British public.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While there have been a few inquiries, Iggy still hasn't found his forever home.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The Treasury Department on Wednesday sent an inquiry to the IRS’s acting chief counsel, Andrew De Mello, asking the agency to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status, according to The Washington Post.
    Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The playful, hands-on approach turned the tasting into an interactive game, allowing guests to challenge their spice tolerance against Buldak’s infamous heat.
    William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The union, which represents nearly 160,000 federal government workers, sued to challenge Trump’s order.
    Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Query.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/query. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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