Thesaurus results for PROBING

probing 1 of 2

noun

as in investigation

a systematic search for the truth or facts about something questionings and probings by several committees into the affair

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probing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of probe

as in exploring

to search through or into tabloid reporters who seem determined to probe every detail of the singer's private life

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as in searching

to go into or range over for purposes of discovery probing the depths of the undersea trench

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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 probing

Noun

There was Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, accepting an award for his relentless probing of the White House. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 July 2026 But neither of them seemed eager to undergo much emotional probing. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 Mission two was to do a lot of listening, a lot of probing, a lot of asking questions, skip levels to really understand the opportunity for the go forward, but also embrace what makes TIAA incredibly special. — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 22 June 2026 Davis’ ability to reflect and respond with his pithy probing of the disagreeing chord turned chaos into something cogent. — Steven D. Reske, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026 It’s composed of 22 bilaterally symmetric appendages that ring the nostrils and move independently, sweeping the substrate in continuous probing arcs. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 Here’s a probing, exclusive, in-depth conversation Benn had with The Athletic following Monday’s practice. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The hosts also talk about Prasad’s second exit from the FDA and a congressman’s probing of the agency’s rare disease drug denials. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026 To this end, the event was likely either a misunderstanding or a deliberate probing of China’s aerial defense response. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026

Verb

Data regulators in the European Union are currently probing privacy concerns with Meta’s glasses and have suggested that Meta may not have properly field-tested the LED light to ensure that the public would understand its safety functionality. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 That meant probing the components and characterizing their functions. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Authorities are probing the exact causes of the latest crashes. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Hockey players in the NHL are too good at probing their opponents for weakness and ruthlessly exploiting it. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Then, use it to augment your ideas and drill down several layers with probing questions and instructions. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Swalwell dropped out of the governor’s race and resigned from office as prosecutors in New York and Los Angeles began probing for potential criminal charges. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Now, congressional Democrats are probing whether sailors on a current deployment to the Middle East are experiencing the typical discomfort of life at sea or something worse. — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Even still, the filmmaker is excited to let Edinburgh audiences begin probing this surprisingly affecting piece on loss and extraterrestrial life. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for probing

Noun

The incident was reported Tuesday, off the Omani coast, the UKMTO said, which added that the resulting fire had been extinguished, all crew members were reported safe, and an investigation was underway.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Jeff Pope is penning a drama about the investigation into Everard’s 2021 murder for the BBC.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of investigation

Verb

Viral food trends may offer an easy entry point to exploring a new cuisine, said Shereshewsky, but don’t let that overshadow the history of a dish.

— Rebecca Boone, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Yi offers her readers a dazzling cabinet of curiosities, exploring spirituality, desire and the desperate ways people grasp at each other.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of exploring

Verb

While searching for a message to share with his team this week, Frost found inspiration from the handful of games that were played this weekend as part of Week 0.

— Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
The farm alleges an officer in Polk County shot the donkey while searching for a missing person without permission or warning, according to the Facebook post.

— Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of searching

Noun

Swelling and spinal shock can cloud the earliest neurological picture, and physicians repeat examinations over time for good reason, as many people once given a grave prognosis go on to recover.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Brown is scheduled to travel with the major-league team back to Chicago after Wednesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks for further examination.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of examination

Verb

Doctors examining the previously healthy teenager at a Los Angeles hospital discovered a subdural hematoma, a life-threatening injury which occurs when blood collects on the surface of the brain.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
The group had been examining the middle finger on Sasaki’s right hand.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of examining

Noun

Nova currently has an exploration and mining project called Estelle in Alaska, which contains something called stibnite (Sb₂S₃), an important antimony-bearing ore.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Schmitt noted that his mission — Apollo’s last moonshot — was the most productive lunar exploration yet.

— Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exploration

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“Probing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of probing

noun

verb

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