Definition of querynext

query

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb query contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of query are ask, inquire, interrogate, and question. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

When might ask be a better fit than query?

In some situations, the words ask and query are roughly equivalent. However, ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

When can inquire be used instead of query?

While in some cases nearly identical to query, 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 interrogate take the place of query?

The synonyms interrogate and query are sometimes interchangeable, but interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

Where would question be a reasonable alternative to query?

The words question and query are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 query
Noun
Leonardo’s SignalTrace product page says the system stores electronic fingerprints for later queries and can recognize a vehicle without seeing its license plate. Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 For anyone asking whether this kind of analysis—unequal parts interpretation, speculation, and evaluation—will save a worrying figure, the query imparts its own futility. Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
This is more than a lack of transparency; the Pentagon is taking away the ability to query actual human beings, instead redirecting journalists to an online source that is itself an obstacle to getting timely and accurate facts. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 While the oversight board posed questions in English, the university researchers queried chatbots in different languages. Didi Tang, Fortune, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for query
Recent Examples of Synonyms for query
Noun
  • Was there ever any doubt Cristobal would succeed at his dream job?
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Oceanside has worked for years to get its neighbors on board with plans to restore and retain sand on its eroding beaches south of the municipal pier, but some Carlsbad residents still have their doubts.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Hansen’s attorney, who is with the Post-Conviction Justice Project at University of Southern California Gould School of Law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Securing passage for Iraqi tankers was also one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s visit to Iraq, according to IRNA, with Iraq having been hard hit by the turmoil in the waterway.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Brown was taken to Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters for questioning.
    CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Griffin, who has sharply criticized New York’s tax policies and business climate, had questioned his future commitments to the city.
    Luisa Yanez August 17, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Vance was asked how the conflict could ultimately end.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Women considering enlistment are generally more likely to ask practical questions about pregnancy policies, hygiene and whether barracks were coed, recruiters and women currently serving explained.
    Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Jacobsen, after interrogating scientific and security experts around the world, has imagined an accident at a Siberian lab that launches a runaway outbreak.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Nearly 1,600 agencies in 32 states now have agreements to participate in ICE’s task force model, in which trained local officers can interrogate, arrest and charge people suspected of being in the country illegally, according to ICE data.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Despite widespread skepticism and immense hurdles in securing funding, programming, and advertisers, Rasmussen launched ESPN in 1979.
    Nicole Kraft, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Over the last two to three years, political leaders have further added to that skepticism by questioning the measles vaccine and attempting to change recommendations around it.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Anne Arundel County Public Schools previously responded to inquiries about the joint statement from the DOJ and Education Department.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • By Tuesday afternoon, more than 107,000 people had signed an open letter calling on the government to commission a public inquiry into media coverage of Arday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The students needed enough solar power to move Stella Juva through challenging terrain while also supporting the medical equipment inside.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • If confirmed, these findings would challenge the standard picture of how one of nature’s basic conservation laws is stored inside matter.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Query.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/query. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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