interrogate

verb

in-ˈter-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce interrogate (audio)
Definition of interrogatenext
1
as in to ask
to put a question or questions to interrogated him about where he'd gone the night before

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to examine
to put a series of questions to police interrogated the murder suspect for hours on end

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Warren’s style is to relentlessly interrogate and castigate. —Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025 In 2018, the Public Employment Relations Board found that a Southern California school district violated state law when a union steward was interrogated about whether employees had complained to her. —Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025 Black Mirror evokes anthology series like The Twilight Zone and Amazing Stories with speculative, offbeat tales that draw upon sci-fi, thriller, and horror tropes to satirize culture and interrogate moral and ethical quandaries. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025 She was detained by Italian police for questioning and interrogated for 53 hours over five days without legal counsel or an interpreter present. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for interrogate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrogate
  1. ask
  2. examine
  3. question
Verb
  • This included when one circuit asked fans of Minions: The Rise of Gru to stop throwing bananas (talk about a slippery slope!).
    — Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Her mom has successfully kept her isolated from her grandfather even though Hazel has asked a lot about him and shown interest in getting to know him.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of ask
Verb
  • Investigators also examined two exemplar helicopters, according to the statement.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Forensic investigators will examine the findings for signs of trauma, injury and a cause of death.
    — Dawn Klavon, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of examine
Verb
  • Legal experts are questioning the authority of the Trump administration to pause the federal funding.
    — Selina Wang, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2025
  • A number of filmmakers and institutions are questioning the legality of NEH grant cancellations, pointing out that the funding was originally authorized by Congress.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of question

Browse Nearby Words

interring
interrogate
interrogated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Interrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrogate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on interrogate

Nglish: Translation of interrogate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

'Blue Moon,' 'Wolf Moon,' and Other Moons to Look for Throughout the Year

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name that thing flower edition
Name That Flower Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
See All