probe
1 of 2noun
ˈprōb 
plural probes
1
: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity)
2
a
: any of various testing devices or substances: such as
(1)
: a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked
(2)
: a usually small object that is inserted into something so as to test conditions at a given point
(3)
: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space or a celestial body
(4)
: a device (such as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (such as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information for diagnostic or experimental purposes
b
: a pipe on the receiving airplane thrust into the drogue of the delivering airplane in air refueling
3
a
: the action of probing
b
: a penetrating or critical investigation
c
: a tentative exploratory advance or survey
probe
2 of 2verb
probed; probing; probes
transitive verb
1
: to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation
2
: to examine with a probe
uncrewed vehicles probed space
intransitive verb
: to make a searching exploratory investigation
prober noun
Synonyms
Noun
- delving
- disquisition
- examen
- examination
- exploration
- inquest
- inquiry
- inquisition
- investigation
- probation
- probing
- research
- study
Verb
- delve (into)
- dig (into)
- examine
- explore
- inquire (into)
- investigate
- look (into)
- research
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence. a congressional probe into the accusations Verb His questions made it clear he was probing for information. He didn't like the police probing into his past. He didn't like the police probing him about his past. The doctor probed the wound with his finger. Searchers probed the mud with long poles. She probed the files for evidence that would help the investigation. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Melissa Noel, Essence, 31 Aug. 2022 Murray's retirement comes amid a probe by the Department of Homeland Security top watchdog into the deletion of thousands of text messages by U.S. Secret Service officials. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 Remington, who started working with the Tucson Police Department in 2017, was fired earlier this year after an internal probe into the shooting. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 27 Aug. 2022 Soon after, Ukrainian officials demanded a probe into video footage that appeared to show pro-Russian forces castrating a Ukrainian fighter and then executing him. Grace Moon, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 The whiplash of the stock price has led some investors to call for an SEC probe into Cohen’s actions, with some concerned Cohen might have manipulated the markets with his trades. Chris Morris, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2022 Sources have told ABC News the search of Trump's Palm Beach home was connected to a probe into whether Trump improperly took classified documents and other records to Florida after leaving the White House. Isabella Murray, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2022 As of this writing, Trump faces a potential grand-jury investigation in Georgia for tampering with election officials in 2020 and a probe by local Manhattan prosecutors into the Trump Organization’s shoddy accounting practices. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 18 Aug. 2022 Federal prosecutors last year subpoenaed material related to the memoir, including information used to pitch the book to publishers, as part of a probe into Covid-19 deaths in the state’s nursing homes. Alyssa Lukpat, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 Dave Collins, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative. Matthew Perrone And Dave Collins, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2022 Imagine the cell as a kind of reality TV star, with a log of its transcriptional lifetime preserved for scientists to probe and analyze for posterity. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 The Eleventh Star calls for African Americans to probe their history and to celebrate their culture and heritage. Essence, 11 Aug. 2022 The agency has also called on the Department of Justice to probe whether the former president violated federal law in his handling of records. Landon Mion, Fox News, 9 Aug. 2022 The Milky Way’s stars are very sparse in the target region, allowing Hubble to probe the cosmic abyss like a viewer peering through a peephole. Fabio Pacucci, Scientific American, 15 July 2022 New England setting allows the writers to probe historical eras the ghosts represent. John Jurgensen, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 And a point worth underscoring: Enabling a committee to probe whether impeachable crimes have been committed would not obligate the House of Representatives to follow through with formal impeachment proceedings. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 13 Feb. 2022 See More
Noun
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s probe into the incident is ongoing. Melissa Noel, Essence, 31 Aug. 2022 Murray's retirement comes amid a probe by the Department of Homeland Security top watchdog into the deletion of thousands of text messages by U.S. Secret Service officials. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 Remington, who started working with the Tucson Police Department in 2017, was fired earlier this year after an internal probe into the shooting. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 27 Aug. 2022 Soon after, Ukrainian officials demanded a probe into video footage that appeared to show pro-Russian forces castrating a Ukrainian fighter and then executing him. Grace Moon, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 The whiplash of the stock price has led some investors to call for an SEC probe into Cohen’s actions, with some concerned Cohen might have manipulated the markets with his trades. Chris Morris, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2022 Sources have told ABC News the search of Trump's Palm Beach home was connected to a probe into whether Trump improperly took classified documents and other records to Florida after leaving the White House. Isabella Murray, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2022 As of this writing, Trump faces a potential grand-jury investigation in Georgia for tampering with election officials in 2020 and a probe by local Manhattan prosecutors into the Trump Organization’s shoddy accounting practices. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 18 Aug. 2022 Federal prosecutors last year subpoenaed material related to the memoir, including information used to pitch the book to publishers, as part of a probe into Covid-19 deaths in the state’s nursing homes. Alyssa Lukpat, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 Verb
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative. Dave Collins, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative. Matthew Perrone And Dave Collins, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2022 Imagine the cell as a kind of reality TV star, with a log of its transcriptional lifetime preserved for scientists to probe and analyze for posterity. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 The Eleventh Star calls for African Americans to probe their history and to celebrate their culture and heritage. Essence, 11 Aug. 2022 The agency has also called on the Department of Justice to probe whether the former president violated federal law in his handling of records. Landon Mion, Fox News, 9 Aug. 2022 The Milky Way’s stars are very sparse in the target region, allowing Hubble to probe the cosmic abyss like a viewer peering through a peephole. Fabio Pacucci, Scientific American, 15 July 2022 New England setting allows the writers to probe historical eras the ghosts represent. John Jurgensen, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 And a point worth underscoring: Enabling a committee to probe whether impeachable crimes have been committed would not obligate the House of Representatives to follow through with formal impeachment proceedings. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 13 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Medieval Latin proba examination, from Latin probare
First Known Use
Noun
1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1542, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Phrases Containing probe
Kids Definition
probe 1 of 2
noun
ˈprōb
1
: a slender instrument for examining a cavity (as a deep wound)
2
: a careful investigation
probe
2 of 2verb
probed; probing
1
: to examine with or as if with an instrument
2
: to investigate thoroughly
Medical Definition
probe 1 of 2
noun
ˈprōb
1
: a surgical instrument that consists typically of a light slender fairly flexible pointed metal instrument like a small rod that is used typically for locating a foreign body (as a bullet embedded in a part of the body), for exploring a wound or suppurative tract by prodding or piercing, or for penetrating and exploring bodily passages and cavities
2
: a device (as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information (as detection of a virus or location of specific segments of a nucleic acid) for diagnostic or experimental purposes
the radioactive probe revealed the distribution of molecules in the membrane
probe
2 of 2verb
probed; probing
transitive verb
: to examine with or as if with a probe
probe a wound
intransitive verb
: to search by using a probe
probe for a bullet
probe 1 of 2
noun
as in investigation
a systematic search for the truth or facts about something a congressional probe into the accusations Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- investigation
- inquiry
- probing
- examination
- exploration
- study
- research
- inspection
- inquisition
- delving
- inquest
- probation
- survey
- questionnaire
- disquisition
- examen
- audit
- interrogation
- quest
- diagnosis
- hearing
- question
- query
- checkup
- poll
- trial
- feeler
- grilling
- challenge
- reinvestigation
- check
- rehearing
- quiz
- questionary
- cross-examination
- going-over
- self-examination
- self-scrutiny
- self-reflection
- soul-searching
- self-questioning
- self-exploration
probe
2 of 2verb
1
as in to investigate
to search through or into tabloid reporters who seem determined to probe every detail of the singer's private life Synonyms & Similar Words
- investigate
- explore
- examine
- research
- scan
- check into
- inspect
- check up on
- study
- inquire (into)
- delve (into)
- look (into)
- view
- dig (into)
- peruse
- sift
- surf
- reinvestigate
- skim (through)
- browse
- thumb (through)
- cruise
2
as in to search
to go into or range over for purposes of discovery probing the depths of the undersea trench Synonyms & Similar Words
- search
- explore
- hunt
- prospect
- reveal
- disclose
- discover
- unearth
- skirr
- scout
- reconnoiter
- plumb
- reconnoitre
- fathom
- sound
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of probe are enter, penetrate, and pierce. While all these words mean "to make way into something," probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.
probed the depths of the sea
In some situations, the words enter and probe are roughly equivalent. However, enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.
entered the city in triumph
The meanings of penetrate and probe largely overlap; however, penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.
the enemy penetrated the fortress
While in some cases nearly identical to probe, pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.
pierced the boil with a lancet