Definition of interrogate
interrogated
;interrogating
transitive verb
1 : to question formally and systematically
2 : to give or send out a signal to (a device, such as a transponder) for triggering an appropriate response
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Examples of interrogate in a Sentence
interrogate a prisoner of war
interrogated him about where he'd gone the night before
Recent Examples of interrogate from the Web
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As officers were interrogating her, Hampton reached into her pant leg and pushed a white balloon on to the floor, the affidavit said.
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Through broken English, Bryan’s mom interrogates Rachel.
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Many of her pieces explore and interrogate the idea of self and how that self mutates and adapts as it is viewed by others.
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A month after being interrogated and willingly giving detectives a sample of his DNA, Michael Usry was cleared—but Idaho Falls Police remained convinced that Usry was somehow related to Angie Dodge's killer.
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Another Fashion Vice vignette was shown, this time with Fandango and Tyler Breeze interrogating The Ascension.
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Spend some time interrogating your relationships to see what’s working and what’s not.
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American defense officials said U.S. forces have interrogated some detainees in Yemen but denied any participation in, or knowledge of, human rights abuses.
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Any person who has actually interrogated the music landscape deeper than, say, an Eric Clapton record would recognize that the electric guitar isn’t dying.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interrogate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of interrogate
Latin interrogatus, past participle of interrogare, from inter- + rogare to ask — more at right
Synonym Discussion of interrogate
INTERROGATE Defined for English Language Learners
interrogate
playDefinition of interrogate for English Language Learners
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: to ask (someone) questions in a thorough and often forceful way
INTERROGATE Defined for Kids
interrogate
playDefinition of interrogate for Students
interrogated
;interrogating
: to question thoroughly Police interrogated a suspect.
Law Dictionary
interrogate
playLegal Definition of interrogate
interrogated
interrogating
: to question formally and systematically; especially : to gather information from (a suspect) by means that are reasonably likely to elicit incriminating responses — see also miranda rights
Additional Notes on interrogate
Under Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291 (1980), interrogating includes not just express questioning, but also any words or actions that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. Asking questions that are normally asked in the course of arrest or booking (such as questions about name or age) is not considered interrogation.
Learn More about interrogate
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See words that rhyme with interrogate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for interrogate Spanish Central: Translation of interrogate Nglish: Translation of interrogate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of interrogate for Arabic speakers
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