interrogator

noun in·ter·ro·ga·tor \ in-ˈter-ə-ˌgā-tər , -ˈte-rə- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of interrogator

1 : one that interrogates

2 : a radio transmitter and receiver for sending out a signal that triggers a transponder and for receiving and displaying the reply

Recent Examples of interrogator from the Web

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Romania and Lithuania violated the Continent’s primary human-rights treaty by secretly holding al Qaeda suspects and failing to investigate their treatment by CIA interrogators.

— drew hinshaw, WSJ, "Romania, Lithuania Violated Human-Rights Laws by Hosting Secret Prisons," 31 May 2018
But there’s a major contrast in Act 2, when the action moves to Richard’s home and Craig turns into a relentless interrogator of his father.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "At Everyman Theatre, 'Book of Joseph' provides intriguing drama of family secrets, regrets," 18 May 2018
After several months, an interrogator began pressuring him to accept a chance to go home, ahead of other Americans—his father was a high-ranking admiral.

— amy davidson sorkin, The New Yorker, "John McCain’s Long Fight," 20 May 2018
Hashimi said Ithawi also provided banking information to Iraqi and American interrogators that has helped cut off valuable sources of funding for the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS.

— Washington Post, "A deputy to ISIS leader Baghdadi is among 5 key members captured by Iraqi forces," 10 May 2018
Brent, Brooklyn This reminds me a little bit of the job interview question in which the interrogator asks the candidate their biggest weakness.

— peter dunn, USA TODAY, "Pete the Planner: Too much in retirement savings? Not possible," 27 Jan. 2018
The department later withdrew those memos, and Congress enacted a law limiting interrogators to techniques listed in the Army Field Manual.

— New York Times, "9/11 Planner, Tortured by C.I.A., Asks to Tell Senators About Gina Haspel," 8 May 2018
He was also subjected to unapproved techniques, including a mock execution by an interrogator who racked the slide of a pistol as if preparing to fire and then revved a power drill next to his head, the report said.

— NBC News, "CIA nominee Gina Haspel faces uphill confirmation battle," 20 Apr. 2018
Would interrogators and torturers use such devices on their subjects?

— jason pontin, WIRED, "Thought-Reading Machines and the Death of Love," 16 Apr. 2018

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