plural probes
1
: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity)
2
a
: any of various testing devices or substances: such as
(1)
: a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked
(2)
: a usually small object that is inserted into something so as to test conditions at a given point
(3)
: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space or a celestial body
(4)
: a device (such as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (such as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information for diagnostic or experimental purposes
b
: a pipe on the receiving airplane thrust into the drogue of the delivering airplane in air refueling
3
a
: the action of probing
b
: a penetrating or critical investigation
c
: a tentative exploratory advance or survey
probed; probing; probes
1
: to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation
2
: to examine with a probe
uncrewed vehicles probed space
: to make a searching exploratory investigation
prober
noun
Synonyms
Examples of probe in a Sentence
Noun
The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence.
a congressional probe into the accusations
Verb
His questions made it clear he was probing for information.
He didn't like the police probing into his past.
He didn't like the police probing him about his past.
The doctor probed the wound with his finger.
Searchers probed the mud with long poles.
She probed the files for evidence that would help the investigation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
The probe is now about eight times farther from the sun than Uranus is on average.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
In interstellar space The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever fly in interstellar space (the space between stars).
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The probes are currently venturing through uncharted cosmic territory along the outer reaches of the solar system.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
That means no formal antitrust probe—although the European Commission is still looking into the wider network of partnerships between Big Tech and AI startups, to see if there’s anything untoward going on.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Real Americans, by Rachel Khong Rachel Khong’s dazzling second novel probes issues of class, race, genetics, and identity.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
That probe, to be launched Wednesday by the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, could lead to the imposition of fresh tariffs or other penalties on Chinese vessels.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The criminal probe comes on the heels of a separate investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is looking into what caused the crash and other safety issues.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
And the commission has had talks with the Justice Department about which agency should probe its multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft, amid concerns that such deals are dampening competition in the quickly evolving AI market.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Investigators are continuing to probe the incident.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
After a series of Miami Herald exposés — probing his secrecy involving travel itineraries, law clients, side jobs, expensive gifts and advocacy on behalf of the Saudi regime — Mayor Francis Suarez, son of a former mayor, is facing calls to resign.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
However, investors have complained about whiplash as China pursues its dual goals of development and security, with executives hearing warm words only to then see authorities probe consultancy firms, expand a vague anti-spy law and restrict access to data.
—Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 27 Mar. 2024
The water, whether a spacecraft probes it as the now-defunct Cassini mission did with Enceladus, could reveal if Europa's Ocean is hosting some form of life.
—Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Under the previous government, that number was much lower, with 54% of ED and 60% of CBI investigations probing the opposition.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
The circle around Mary Jane, all women from their 20s to their 60s, from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, allows Herzog to probe varied manifestations of caregiving and duty.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
In May 2023, while facing a House ethics probe, Santos was arrested on federal fraud charges that accuse him of bilking political donors.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
The probe is now about eight times farther from the sun than Uranus is on average.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
In interstellar space The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever fly in interstellar space (the space between stars).
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
The probes are currently venturing through uncharted cosmic territory along the outer reaches of the solar system.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
That means no formal antitrust probe—although the European Commission is still looking into the wider network of partnerships between Big Tech and AI startups, to see if there’s anything untoward going on.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Real Americans, by Rachel Khong Rachel Khong’s dazzling second novel probes issues of class, race, genetics, and identity.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
That probe, to be launched Wednesday by the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, could lead to the imposition of fresh tariffs or other penalties on Chinese vessels.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The criminal probe comes on the heels of a separate investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is looking into what caused the crash and other safety issues.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
Verb
Last year, Hayden pushed Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman to continue preserving the county’s old ballots as the sheriff probes an election software company the county once used to manage poll workers.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
And the commission has had talks with the Justice Department about which agency should probe its multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft, amid concerns that such deals are dampening competition in the quickly evolving AI market.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Investigators are continuing to probe the incident.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
After a series of Miami Herald exposés — probing his secrecy involving travel itineraries, law clients, side jobs, expensive gifts and advocacy on behalf of the Saudi regime — Mayor Francis Suarez, son of a former mayor, is facing calls to resign.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
However, investors have complained about whiplash as China pursues its dual goals of development and security, with executives hearing warm words only to then see authorities probe consultancy firms, expand a vague anti-spy law and restrict access to data.
—Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 27 Mar. 2024
The water, whether a spacecraft probes it as the now-defunct Cassini mission did with Enceladus, could reveal if Europa's Ocean is hosting some form of life.
—Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Under the previous government, that number was much lower, with 54% of ED and 60% of CBI investigations probing the opposition.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
The circle around Mary Jane, all women from their 20s to their 60s, from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, allows Herzog to probe varied manifestations of caregiving and duty.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near probe
Cite this Entry
“Probe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probe. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
probe
1 of 2 noun1
: a slender medical instrument especially for examining a cavity (as a deep wound)
2
: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space
3
: a careful investigation
4
: an attempt to explore or learn about some unknown place
a space probe
probe
2 of 2 verb
probed; probing
1
: to examine with or as if with a probe
2
: to investigate thoroughly
prober
noun
Medical Definition
probe
1 of 2 noun1
: a surgical instrument that consists typically of a light slender fairly flexible pointed metal instrument like a small rod that is used typically for locating a foreign body (as a bullet embedded in a part of the body), for exploring a wound or suppurative tract by prodding or piercing, or for penetrating and exploring bodily passages and cavities
2
: a device (as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information (as detection of a virus or location of specific segments of a nucleic acid) for diagnostic or experimental purposes
the radioactive probe revealed the distribution of molecules in the membrane
probe
2 of 2 verb
probed; probing
: to examine with or as if with a probe
probe a wound
: to search by using a probe
probe for a bullet
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share