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query

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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
The program could conceivably be used to plan large-scale government projects, inform reductions in force, or query centralized repositories of federal data, the GSA worker told me. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025 Users can also ask follow-up questions to their initial queries. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
In 1996 MicroStrategy brought out its first product allowing users, via the Web or an intranet, to query a database without special desktop software. Janet Novack, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025 This year, there is another postscript discussion to query. Cathy Schulman, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for query
Recent Examples of Synonyms for query
Noun
  • There’s little doubt that Ohtani will be back in the 2026 WBC with the Japanese team that is ranked first in the world.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2025
  • There's little doubt that AI will play an increasingly more prominent role in employee engagement, well-being and development.
    Kevin Korte, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Newsmax did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
    Zoë Richards, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Cantor Fitzgerald also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
    Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Angela questions before May decides to just delete Instagram.
    Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
  • O’Connell can’t afford to see his leadership questioned Rodgers knows how to play the interview game.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Ivy Nile Chad Gable hit the ring in a full suit and Michael Cole, who still believes Chad Gable was under the Lucha mask last week, asked Gable where his Lucha mask was.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The lawyers asked Boasberg to review whether the government complied with his order.
    Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But the thing that the film genuinely interrogates is such an important problem to interrogate, and journalists play, if not the most important part, one of the most important parts in public discourse.
    Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The fiction writer must craft lies to probe and interrogate the essence of truth and reality.
    Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, The Dial, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • At the same time, skepticism remains, with industry leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cautioning that meaningful commercial quantum applications could still be decades away.
    Dr. Ekta Dang, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Jack Schlossberg made his snarky pitch in an Instagram video Thursday addressed to the wife of his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was made Trump’s secretary of health and human services — despite his skepticism of life-saving vaccines.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The timely project quickly drew five offers, including inquiries from Hulu, Netflix and Amazon.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The White House also did not respond to ABC News' inquiry about Bondi's pending report.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The rejection of his candidacy, which was condemned by far-right party leaders as undemocratic, can be challenged at the constitutional court.
    Reuters, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
  • More than 100 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration, challenging the unliteral firing of civil servants, the freezing of federal spending, the pursuit of undocumented immigrants into churches, the end of birthright citizenship and more.
    Susan Page, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Query.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/query. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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