Synonym Chooser

How does the verb interrogate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of interrogate are ask, inquire, query, and question. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

When could ask be used to replace interrogate?

The words ask and interrogate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

When is inquire a more appropriate choice than interrogate?

The synonyms inquire and interrogate are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When might query be a better fit than interrogate?

Although the words query and interrogate have much in common, query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

When can question be used instead of interrogate?

The words question and interrogate can be used in similar contexts, but question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

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 interrogate Well, Lucy sure as hell ain’t the person to interrogate that. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 June 2025 In most of these movies, Panahi plays a director named Jafar Panahi, who is sometimes watchful and reticent, and sometimes vocally philosophical, openly interrogating the circumstances of his confinement. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 May 2025 In October, Kennedy and other members of the Civilian Oversight Commission spent five hours interrogating Fernandez and former homicide Det. Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 The men were interrogated for three weeks on suspicions that included conspiring to endanger lives on the roads; then they were put under house arrest, but finally released without charges, apparently after the withdrawal. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for interrogate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrogate
Verb
  • Single-screen theatres were also asked to screen the film exclusively through the day.
    Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Our characters all ask if maybe they all got lost on the way.
    Tricia Despres, People.com, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • The report examines how, say, the cellphone is often giving a one-sided perspective of a story brimming with multiple angles and voices.
    David Silverberg, JSTOR Daily, 13 June 2025
  • Jurors would listen to witnesses, examine evidence and then name a suspect.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Skeptics will point to his physical issues and question his fit outside the Warriors’ unique system.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 21 June 2025
  • But an analysis of new data from Hubble and the European Space Agency’s Gaia Space Telescope has caused researchers to question that time frame.
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Interrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrogate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on interrogate

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