research 1 of 2

noun

ri-ˈsərch How to pronounce research (audio)
Definition of researchnext
as in investigation
a systematic search for the truth or facts about something I'll have to do some research for this project

Synonyms & Similar Words

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research

2 of 2

verb

as in to explore
to search through or into researched the public record for more information about her great-grandparents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 research
Noun
Professor Irene Tracey, recipient of a CBE in 2022 for services to medical research, was there on the first Wednesday of 2023. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026 The research team, led by Ellie Bourgikos and Nathan Grubaugh at the Yale School of Public Health, estimates that one of the virus’s two major lineages arrived in the Northeast by the early 1700s. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Verb
Because this workflow is trained on real data, call center agents can significantly reduce the time spent researching a customer’s issue and the cognitive load required to summarize long-form discussions. — Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Andrea Gutierrez, a University of Texas professor who researched captive elephants in South Asia, said Kerala's temple elephants are male, which poses a problem. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for research
Recent Examples of Synonyms for research
  1. investigation
  2. explore
  3. inquiry
  4. investigate
  5. study
  6. examine
  7. exploration
  8. examination
Noun
  • The agency has required the building’s owner to hire a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation — a formal investigation to determine the cause of the structural failure.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • There were 267 investigations opened by California wildlife officials into wolf-livestock predation in 2025, up from 74 the previous year.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of investigation
Verb
  • Baby Carrie has not been born yet at the start of the series, in part so the show could explore pioneer pregnancy and childbirth.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • By Jessica Kim, Bloomberg British Columbia is exploring legal action against OpenAI for its failure to alert authorities to threats made on ChatGPT before the February mass shooting in the town of Tumbler Ridge.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of explore
Noun
  • On Wednesday morning, the NCAA sent a letter of inquiry to Cincinnati centered on Sorsby and his time with the program.
    — Cal Phillips July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
  • These collective actions are crucial to safeguard scholarly inquiry and faculty independence against political interference.
    — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of inquiry
Verb
  • Counties investigate these cases, and officials acknowledge that fraud exists, but neither the state nor local property appraisers publish verifiable statewide fraud statistics.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • The incident, which authorities are investigating, occurred 30 nautical miles (around 55 kilometers) southwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah, UKMTO said.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of investigate
Noun
  • The study also categorized unemployment claims by age and found that a significant portion of claims were from those aged 36 to 65, signaling that AI’s effect doesn’t only affect early-career jobs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • As thousands sing, clap and chant together, attendees describe a feeling of bliss and belonging, a chance to step outside the pressures of work, studies and an increasingly competitive society.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of study
Verb
  • Apple examines each application and each update of every third-party app, and if these don’t meet Apple’s definition of acceptable, then they are not allowed to be installed.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • These agencies examine the water in comparison to contamination thresholds to determine if the area is swimmable.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of examine
Noun
  • In terms of threading the needle between the experimentation and playing Lestat does before landing on a style that’s uniquely his, Lestat’s preference for musical exploration is akin to Hart’s own.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • Well, the nation came of age industrially after the Wright brothers' historic flight and has been a leader in aerospace tech and exploration ever since.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of exploration
Noun
  • The agency has not indicated when that review will conclude, and the final scope of any patent could change during the examination process.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • The findings came after Crump and the child's family pushed for an independent examination and called for transparency and accountability in the investigation into the June 14 shooting.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of examination

Browse Nearby Words

rescuing
research
researched
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Cite this Entry

“Research.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/research. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on research

Nglish: Translation of research for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about research

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