Synonym Chooser

How is the word examine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of examine are inspect, scan, and scrutinize. While all these words mean "to look at or over," examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing.

examined the specimens

When would inspect be a good substitute for examine?

The words inspect and examine can be used in similar contexts, but inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects.

inspected my credentials

In what contexts can scan take the place of examine?

The meanings of scan and examine largely overlap; however, scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation.

scanned the wine list

When is scrutinize a more appropriate choice than examine?

Although the words scrutinize and examine have much in common, scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail.

scrutinized the hospital bill

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of examine Arden called that virtually unheard of in his 40 years of examining dead bodies and said Marcus told him in a conversation that the possibility was remote. CBS News, 8 May 2025 In the warehouse, the tower will be tested and examined by fire investigators with Los Angeles County Fire, Southern California Edison officials and experts hired by a growing list of plaintiffs who have since sued the utility company for allegedly sparking the fire. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 Geologists will examine high-resolution maps of the site to determine where exactly the eruption occurred, while chemists study how the vent’s hydrothermal fluids changed before and after the eruption and biologists trace how life returns to the area. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025 One significant section of the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study will examine the best long-term solutions to the saltwater intrusion phenomenon. Kati Weis, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for examine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for examine
Verb
  • From exhibitions interrogating race and class to public programs grappling with climate change and surveillance, Somerset House became a magnet for the conversations audiences crave but most institutions are too afraid to address. Stand for something.
    Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
  • The Fallout series is set in 2296, though the story routinely returns to the year 2077, interrogating how corporate interests helped facilitate the nuclear attacks that decimated the world.
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2025
  • Earlier this month, the North Korean leader supervised a missile test, inspected tank and munitions plants, and made a rare stop at the Russian embassy in Pyongyang to reaffirm the nation's alliance with Moscow.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Jamaican fibre artist Katrina Coombs engages with natural fibers to explore women’s relationships to their bodies, specifically their wombs, and their experiences within and beyond the role of motherhood.
    Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • The idea of using this movement as a background to explore these themes, using the language of a musical film started to take shape.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Some justices question why Trump admin did not seek direct ruling on birthright citizenship Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan asked why the Trump administration on Thursday sought to block nationwide injunctions rather than resolve whether a birthright citizenship order is constitutional.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • The MedPAC report doesn’t dispute these outcomes but questions whether the MA program is delivering value commensurate with its cost.
    Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Under President Donald Trump, aid is being reviewed, and the U.S. Agency for International Development has been gutted.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
  • Per department policy, authorities did not confirm the name(s) of the residents, but property records reviewed by EW show that the home belongs to Anderson.
    EW.com, EW.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The Butte County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s Officer Involved Shooting Protocol Team and the state Department of Justice were investigating the incident.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2025
  • Ramsay said his detectives are investigating the circumstances and motive of the situation.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Among the photos in the carousel was a snap of a family outing to Disneyland, posing by the tree at Christmas, and Kourtney at a baby scan before welcoming their son, Rocky Thirteen.
    Latoya Gayle, People.com, 12 May 2025
  • Stuart-Smith’s team would digitally scan the tree before casting it as a full-size bronze sculpture.
    Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The Baltimore Sun surveyed all the Derby horses from 2022 to 2025 and found that only 10 of the 67 horses ran in both the Derby and Preakness.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
  • The poll, which surveyed 1,175 adults nationwide from May 1 to May 5, found only 35 percent of Democrats are optimistic about the party's future, while 36 percent are pessimistic.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Examine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/examine. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on examine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!