INQUIRY Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

inquiry

noun

in-ˈkwī(-ə)r-ē

Definition of inquiry

as in investigation

a systematic search for the truth or facts about something an inquiry into the origins of the universe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in request

an act or instance of asking for information one student made a hesitant inquiry about the assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inquiry Significant opportunities were missed by police officers and social workers after the family's first disappearance months earlier, New Zealand Minister of Social Development Louise Upston said in the government's response to the inquiry on Tuesday. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 The inquiry has no direct bearing on Letby’s convictions, which have already been tested in the Court of Appeal. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 The inquiry into baby deaths found the Countess of Chester Hospital, in northwestern England, could have saved some infants from death and injury if staff had acted sooner when children began collapsing, Justice Kathryn Thirlwall said. — CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 Both the union and a spokesperson for the hospital did not respond to The Bee’s inquiry in time for publication. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inquiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inquiry

Noun

Running parallel to this butchery investigation is the arrival of perpetually hungover FBI agent Gwen Birgssen, played by British actress Lily James with an incomprehensible southern drawl and some clunky platitudes that veer into genre parody.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Doctors can use the score to determine whether more investigation or treatment is necessary, particularly in people who have inherited risk of pancreatic cancer or who have had pancreatitis, for example.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of investigation

Noun

The city did not immediately respond to ABC News' request on potential toxins first responders were exposed to in the aftermath or allegations by agencies at the time that the air was safe.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Biggs has put out an informal request on social media asking county residents to weigh in on the idea.

— Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of request

Noun

Audiences expecting an easy villain and a clear case of right and wrong will be surprised as the narrative unfolds with an examination of community, complicity and corruption within institutions of power.

— Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Brown was ruled out for the remainder of the game after heading to the locker room for further examination.

— Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of examination

Noun

Clear information gives everyone a fair chance to ask questions and prevents resentment from filling in the missing details.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Authorities were not immediately sure what caused the crash, and Cordero-Stutz declined to answer additional questions from reporters.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of question

Noun

Jacir signed on as executive producer after connecting with the film’s exploration of memory and resistance.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
These days, Artemis isn't the only extra demand on DSN; other space agencies also use the network for their own spacecraft, to a much greater degree than 50 years ago as space exploration has matured.

— Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of exploration

Noun

The models are deliberately tuned to favor the shortest, computationally cheapest response that satisfies the bare minimum requirements of a query.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
For decades, quality has largely been achieved through downstream activities such as monitoring, query resolution and reconciliation.

— Avik Pal, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of query

Noun

Evidence from decades of studies and real-world use of vaccines have proved there is no link between vaccines and autism.

— FATIMA HUSSEIN, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
That study, being conducted by DRC and Doctors Without Borders, will give participants a shot of Ervebo, followed a month later by a shot of an experimental vaccine designed to protect against the Sudan version of the Ebola virus.

— Helen Branswell, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of study

Noun

When the scanning tip encounters a rough surface, the mechanical contact between the probe and the sample changes.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
For example, if one probe hits a subject in the thigh and the other probe hits a thick bubble jacket, there’s a good chance the officer won’t have good connectivity, Keller said.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026