investigate
verb
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Definition of investigate
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry
: to make a systematic examination especially : to conduct an official inquiry
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Other Words from investigate
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noun
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adjective
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noun
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Synonyms for investigate
Synonyms
delve (into), dig (into), examine, explore, inquire (into), look (into), probe, research
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Examples of investigate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That allows the institute to investigate only one-third of on-duty firefighter fatalities. — Mike Hendricks, kansascity, "In a tragic loop, firefighters continue to die from preventable mistakes," 13 July 2018 But consumer groups asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company’s use of the technology. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Facebook Is Still Abusing Your Privacy," 11 July 2018 The Aurora Police Traffic Division is continuing to investigate the crash. — Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News, "Man identified who died in Aurora motorcycle crash," 6 July 2018 No further details were available as police continued to investigate, Hilton said. — Mike Danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Five taken to hospital after Elgin collision," 6 July 2018 Meanwhile, in the U.S., regulators are reportedly investigating potential price manipulation at four major cryptocurrency exchanges. — Maya Kosoff, The Hive, "Has Bitcoin Entered the Doom Loop?," 29 June 2018 Which is what two nerdy, concavely skinny guys investigate. — Recode Staff, Recode, "The New York Times’ The Daily podcast host Michael Barbaro talks with Kara Swisher," 29 June 2018 Citing the law, a fringe nationalist group asked prosecutors to investigate if Israeli President Reuven Rivlin broke the law during a speech in Poland. — Wojciech Moskwa, Bloomberg.com, "Poland Softens Holocaust Law That Caused an International Outcry," 27 June 2018 Both JetBlue and the FAA are currently investigating the situation. — Bridget Hallinan, Condé Nast Traveler, "Tuesday Was a Crazy Day for Air Travel," 27 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'investigate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for investigate
investigate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of investigate
: to try to find out the facts about (something, such as a crime or an accident) in order to learn how it happened, who did it, etc.
: to try to get information about (someone who may have done something illegal)
See the full definition for investigate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
investigate
verb
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Kids Definition of investigate
: to study by close examination and questioning Police are investigating the crime.
investigate
verb
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Legal Definition of investigate
: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry specifically : to make (a criminal suspect) the subject of inquiry and study for the purpose of establishing probable cause
: to make a systematic examination especially : to conduct an official inquiry
Other Words from investigate
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noun
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adjective
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noun
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adjective
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