open investigation
noun
: a case that is still being investigated (as by the police)
We can't talk about the case. It's still an open investigation.
Examples of open investigation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In May 2024, an LAPD spokesperson told Deadline that an open investigation into Perry’s death was underway with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 June 2025
Schepers’ disappearance remained an open investigation for 41 years, and was briefly revisited by the Illinois State Police in the late 1980s and again by investigators in 2010.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025
The Oxford Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE at the time that there is an open investigation into the incident but declined to comment further.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Cell phone data is still pending, and the case is still officially considered an open investigation until all loose ends are tied up, but the timeline is considered fully established by officials.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open investigation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 June 2025
Schepers’ disappearance remained an open investigation for 41 years, and was briefly revisited by the Illinois State Police in the late 1980s and again by investigators in 2010.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025
The Oxford Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE at the time that there is an open investigation into the incident but declined to comment further.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Cell phone data is still pending, and the case is still officially considered an open investigation until all loose ends are tied up, but the timeline is considered fully established by officials.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open investigation
Cite this Entry
“Open investigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20investigation. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share