plural probes
1
: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity)
2
a
: any of various testing devices or substances: such as
(1)
: a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked
(2)
: a usually small object that is inserted into something so as to test conditions at a given point
(3)
: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space or a celestial body
(4)
: a device (such as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (such as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information for diagnostic or experimental purposes
b
: a pipe on the receiving airplane thrust into the drogue of the delivering airplane in air refueling
3
a
: the action of probing
b
: a penetrating or critical investigation
c
: a tentative exploratory advance or survey
probed; probing; probes
1
: to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation
2
: to examine with a probe
uncrewed vehicles probed space
: to make a searching exploratory investigation
prober
noun
Synonyms
Examples of probe in a Sentence
Noun
The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence.
a congressional probe into the accusations
Verb
His questions made it clear he was probing for information.
He didn't like the police probing into his past.
He didn't like the police probing him about his past.
The doctor probed the wound with his finger.
Searchers probed the mud with long poles.
She probed the files for evidence that would help the investigation.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Photo: Eric Lee for The Wall Street Journal Outdoor advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings agreed to pay more than $26 million to resolve a U.S. probe into bribes the company allegedly paid in China.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2023
The material, which dates to the birth of the solar system, was dropped off by parachute in the Utah desert by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft three years after the probe retrieved it from the asteroid Bennu.
—Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
That led some investors to call for an SEC probe into Cohen’s actions, with some concerned Cohen might have manipulated the markets with his trades.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2023
Investigators led by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have declined to comment on specifics of the probe, as have Maui County officials.
—Michael Biesecker, Jennifer McDermott, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep. 2023
But Simons reportedly diverted agency resources from that probe against Meta’s Facebook following the platform’s Cambridge Analytica scandal.
—Makena Kelly, The Verge, 26 Sep. 2023
The House Ethics Committee reportedly reopened its own probe into his conduct in June 2023, the status of which is unknown.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023
Previously, two law enforcement officials briefed on the probe told ABC News on Tuesday the gun appeared to have been purchased legally.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Theo Nicitopoulos, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023
For weeks, Ukrainian forces have been probing Russian defenses in the southeast, looking for an opening to push their armored vehicles behind the main Russian line.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Unfortunately, Amazon didn’t make the new Alexa available for journalists to probe and chat with.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
The festival has also revealed the films playing in two of the three Focus programs: Fabrications, which probes the difference between reality and realism, and 16 Worlds on 16, an homage to 16mm film.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023
The Senate Armed Services Committee is probing national-security issues raised by Elon Musk’s decision not to extend the private Starlink satellite network to aid a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships near the Crimean coast.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Reporters for these recent pieces probing the reality of our invisible injuries routinely consult van der Kolk as an arbitrator.
—Ana Marie Cox, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
House Republicans have been probing Hunter Biden’s business dealings since taking control of the House last year.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
Dunne is an expert at probing the baggage that comes along with maturity — namely, responsibility.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023
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Noun
The probe looked into incidents allegedly involving the singer between 2009 and 2011 in West Hollywood.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Photo: Eric Lee for The Wall Street Journal Outdoor advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings agreed to pay more than $26 million to resolve a U.S. probe into bribes the company allegedly paid in China.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2023
The material, which dates to the birth of the solar system, was dropped off by parachute in the Utah desert by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft three years after the probe retrieved it from the asteroid Bennu.
—Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
That led some investors to call for an SEC probe into Cohen’s actions, with some concerned Cohen might have manipulated the markets with his trades.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2023
Investigators led by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have declined to comment on specifics of the probe, as have Maui County officials.
—Michael Biesecker, Jennifer McDermott, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep. 2023
But Simons reportedly diverted agency resources from that probe against Meta’s Facebook following the platform’s Cambridge Analytica scandal.
—Makena Kelly, The Verge, 26 Sep. 2023
The House Ethics Committee reportedly reopened its own probe into his conduct in June 2023, the status of which is unknown.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023
Previously, two law enforcement officials briefed on the probe told ABC News on Tuesday the gun appeared to have been purchased legally.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Verb
The list includes satellites, spacecraft, rovers, probes and other scientific equipment.
—Theo Nicitopoulos, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023
For weeks, Ukrainian forces have been probing Russian defenses in the southeast, looking for an opening to push their armored vehicles behind the main Russian line.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Unfortunately, Amazon didn’t make the new Alexa available for journalists to probe and chat with.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023
The festival has also revealed the films playing in two of the three Focus programs: Fabrications, which probes the difference between reality and realism, and 16 Worlds on 16, an homage to 16mm film.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023
The Senate Armed Services Committee is probing national-security issues raised by Elon Musk’s decision not to extend the private Starlink satellite network to aid a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships near the Crimean coast.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Reporters for these recent pieces probing the reality of our invisible injuries routinely consult van der Kolk as an arbitrator.
—Ana Marie Cox, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
House Republicans have been probing Hunter Biden’s business dealings since taking control of the House last year.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
Dunne is an expert at probing the baggage that comes along with maturity — namely, responsibility.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Medieval Latin proba examination, from Latin probare
First Known Use
Noun
1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1542, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Phrases Containing probe
Dictionary Entries Near probe
Cite this Entry
“Probe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probe. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
probe
1 of 2 noun1
: a slender medical instrument especially for examining a cavity (as a deep wound)
2
: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space
3
: a careful investigation
4
: an attempt to explore or learn about some unknown place
a space probe
probe
2 of 2 verb
probed; probing
1
: to examine with or as if with a probe
2
: to investigate thoroughly
prober
noun
Medical Definition
probe
1 of 2 noun1
: a surgical instrument that consists typically of a light slender fairly flexible pointed metal instrument like a small rod that is used typically for locating a foreign body (as a bullet embedded in a part of the body), for exploring a wound or suppurative tract by prodding or piercing, or for penetrating and exploring bodily passages and cavities
2
: a device (as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information (as detection of a virus or location of specific segments of a nucleic acid) for diagnostic or experimental purposes
the radioactive probe revealed the distribution of molecules in the membrane
probe
2 of 2 verb
probed; probing
: to examine with or as if with a probe
probe a wound
: to search by using a probe
probe for a bullet
More from Merriam-Webster on probe
Nglish: Translation of probe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of probe for Arabic Speakers
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