inspect

verb

in·spect | \ in-ˈspekt

inspected; inspecting; inspects

Definition of inspect

transitive verb

1 : to view closely in critical appraisal : look over

2 : to examine officially inspects the barracks every Friday

intransitive verb

: to make an inspection

Other Words from inspect Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about inspect

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Choose the Right Synonym for inspect

scrutinize, scan, inspect, examine mean to look at or over. scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail. scrutinized the hospital bill scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation. scanned the wine list inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects. inspected my credentials examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing. examined the specimens

Examples of inspect in a Sentence

She had the car inspected by a mechanic before she bought it. The candles are inspected for damage before being packaged. After the storm, we went outside to inspect the damage. He inspected the soldiers' barracks. inspecting a restaurant for health code violations

Recent Examples on the Web

This week, Stanford University experts — including nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker, who has inspected North Korea atomic facilities firsthand -- proposed a denuclearization road map spanning 10 years. — CBS News, "Trump hints at longer path for North Korea to denuke," 2 June 2018 Lack of funding has reduced the accuracy of weather forecasts, the degree of Coast Guard preparedness and the extent to which container ships are inspected. — New York Times, "17 Refreshing Books to Read This Summer," 17 May 2018 The physicians who inspected the twins included Dr. Peter Mark Roget, compiler of his eponymous thesaurus. — Vanessa Hua, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Inseparable,’ by Yunte Huang," 10 May 2018 Starlee Sykes said crawler robots, which crawl up and down offshore pipes and other metal equipment via magnetic connections, replace the need for rope-access technicians, who inspect equipment by hanging from oil platforms by ropes. — Houston Chronicle, "BP unleashing robot army to improve performance, safety," 2 May 2018 The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on Sunday, nor did Customs and Border Protection, which inspects plants at points of entry. — Tim Stelloh /, NBC News, "What happened to Emmanuel Macron's gift of a White House oak?," 29 Apr. 2018 Additionally, each piece is inspected for rivets, which attach handles to the pan, and create additional crevices that require cleaning. — Betty Gold, Good Housekeeping, "5 Best Ceramic Cookware Sets to Buy in 2019, According to Kitchen Product Experts," 1 Mar. 2019 In addition to being registered, ships must also be inspected for safety by organizations that are recognized by countries for the job. — Niharika Mandhana, WSJ, "Fake Signals and Illegal Flags: How North Korea Uses Clandestine Shipping to Fund Regime," 28 Nov. 2018 Since 1996, the police have inspected mine three or four times. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "How We Can Stop Mass Shootings in America," 20 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inspect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.