question 1 of 2

1
as in problem
an interrogative expression often used to test knowledge because I have missed so many classes, I had a hard time answering every question on today's surprise quiz

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Relevance

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2
as in request
an act or instance of asking for information after reading the brief statement to the reporters, the lawyer ended the press conference by saying, "No more questions, please" the dozens of questions researched by the reference librarians

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

question

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to challenge
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of the teenager openly questioned the authority of the town's police force to impose a curfew on residents under the age of 18

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in it was apparent that voters were questioning the President's ability to manage the economy

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4
as in to ask
to put a question or questions to the press should be allowed to question public officials about any matter of general interest

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5
as in to examine
to put a series of questions to the police questioned the suspect before deciding that there was insufficient evidence to hold him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb question contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of question are ask, inquire, interrogate, and query. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

When can ask be used instead of question?

Although the words ask and question have much in common, ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

In what contexts can inquire take the place of question?

While in some cases nearly identical to question, 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 could interrogate be used to replace question?

The meanings of interrogate and question largely overlap; however, interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

When would query be a good substitute for question?

In some situations, the words query and question are roughly equivalent. However, query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

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 question
Noun
The links to the previous 59 Friday quiz questions are also below. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 June 2025 Morial said those questions are precisely why such groups are still needed. Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 20 June 2025
Verb
Compiled by two nonprofit watchdogs, the report draws on legal documents, media coverage, and insider accounts to question the company’s commitment to safe AI development. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 June 2025 At a court hearing earlier this week on whether to extend the pause on Breyer's decision, members of the 9th Circuit panel questioned lawyers for California and the Trump administration on what role, if any, courts should have in reviewing Trump's authority to deploy the troops. Dietrich Knauth, USA Today, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for question
Recent Examples of Synonyms for question
Noun
  • On Monday afternoon, when the heat index was again over 100 degrees, these second-floor offices had to close because of problems with the ventilation system.
    Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
  • Earlier in the week, American Airlines dealt with another dramatic problem with a connection to the Charlotte airport.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Florida Emergency Management and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
  • Also this week, Hippler denied the defense's request to delay the trial.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • If leaders moved ahead without altering the provisions, the measures could be challenged, requiring a 60-vote threshold to overcome objections.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025
  • Generate three compelling arguments for this settlement amount, then anticipate the opposing counsel's three strongest objections.
    Kwame Christian Esq, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Rice has been a hot-button topic in Japan, with surging prices and shortages leading to empty shelves in supermarkets across the country.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 June 2025
  • Throughout the hearing, Kobach advocated against the merits of climate public nuisance suits, using previous dismissals as evidence of the lack of feasibility of such claims, a topic which Sen. Cruz also discussed during his questioning.
    David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Attorneys for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Farmworker Association of Florida and two individual plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the law in April.
    Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
  • Telling their kids to take a course load that was too rigorous Students should absolutely challenge themselves.
    Theo Wolf, CNBC, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • While the concept of vibe coding remains ill-defined, and its merits are hotly debated within the enterprise software community, there is a broad consensus around the underlying goal of making AI agents easier to code and deploy.
    Maribel Lopez, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • However, whether this move will have a positive financial impact for the government has been debated by experts.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Increasingly seething backlash against Boone seems to doubt there’s more to the TV and internet star turned Grammy nominee than these high-flying antics.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 June 2025
  • When Failure Isn't Fiction: What Outages Reveal About Benchmarking Gaps If anyone doubts the importance of resilience, recent history is rife with cautionary tales.
    Spencer Kimball, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Our characters all ask if maybe they all got lost on the way.
    Tricia Despres, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • Hostin asked on Friday's show, after co-host Joy Behar prompted her to tell their co-hosts that day, including Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro, what had happened.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Question.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/question. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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