Synonyms of inquire

inquire

verb

as in to ask

Related Words

• ask
• examine
• question
• interrogate
• challenge
• cross-examine
• pump
• survey
• grill
• quiz
• query
• poll

Dissimilar Words

• respond
• answer
• return
• come back
• reply
• acknowledge
• communicate
• rejoin
• react
• explain
• correspond
• comment
• remark
• retort
• deny
• defend
• riposte
• refute
• counter
• rebut
• field

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inquire contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of inquire are ask, interrogate, query, and question. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.

began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue

In what contexts can ask take the place of inquire?

The words ask and inquire can be used in similar contexts, but ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

When might interrogate be a better fit than inquire?

Although the words interrogate and inquire have much in common, interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

When can query be used instead of inquire?

The meanings of query and inquire largely overlap; however, query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

Where would question be a reasonable alternative to inquire?

The synonyms question and inquire are sometimes interchangeable, but question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inquire

After ProPublica shared the findings of its investigation and the names of veterans who would appear in it, the agency reached out to several to inquire about their care and offer help. — Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026

Executives must inquire about data integration depth, necessary human oversight, persistent context handling versus prompt-by-prompt interaction, the system's understanding of approval workflows, and output auditability. — Joe Toscano, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

That said, the Marlins are not going to simply deal Fairbanks — or any of their other relievers, for that matter (veteran Anthony Bender and breakout righty Michael Petersen are logical options for teams to inquire about) — just to simply trade him. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

The Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the clubs expected to inquire on Skubal, the reigning AL back-to-back Cy Young winner. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 28 July 2026