investigate
Dig for answers
To investigate is to examine something systematically to discover facts or establish truth.
Police investigate crimes, journalists investigate scandals, scientists investigate phenomena.
The word implies methodical inquiry rather than casual looking: We're investigating reports of fraud.
An investigation can be formal or informal, but it suggests deliberate effort to uncover what isn't immediately apparent.
Study closely for flaws
- analyzeStudy by breaking down
- reviewCritical written assessment
- assessJudge worth or quality
- auditFormal accounts examination
evaluate · scrutinize · check · survey · observe · peruse · dissect · probe
Try to find
- huntPursuit of quarry
- probeThorough examination or tool
- exploreTravel to discover
- scourClean by hard rubbing
sift · trawl · trace · track · pursue · uncover · discover · dig
Seeking answers through inquiry
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- interviewFormal questioning session
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
fact-finding · hearing · inquest · tribunal · commission · oversight · probe · congressional
Reach by reasoning
- inferDerive by reasoning
- concludeEnd or infer
- hypothesizePropose a tentative explanation
- analyzeStudy by breaking down
logic · deduction · premise · theory · evidence · corroborate · unravel · determine
Private investigator
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- SherlockIconic Victorian-era investigator
- HolmesFictional London investigator
- PoirotFictional Belgian detective
Marlowe · noir · whodunit · mystery · clue · undercover · stakeout · surveillance
Testable proposed explanation
- empiricalBased on observation, not theory
- studyDeliberate learning effort
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- dataFacts for analysis
analysis · methodology · findings · evidence · quantitative · qualitative · fieldwork · variables
inspect
Study closely for flaws
audit · evaluate · scrutinize · check · survey · observe · peruse · dissect · probe · verify
seek
Try to find
scour · sift · trawl · trace · track · pursue · uncover · discover · dig · delve
questioning
Seeking answers through inquiry
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- interviewFormal questioning session
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
deposition · fact-finding · hearing · inquest · tribunal · commission · oversight · probe · congressional · internal
deduce
Reach by reasoning
- inferDerive by reasoning
- concludeEnd or infer
- hypothesizePropose a tentative explanation
analyze · logic · deduction · premise · theory · evidence · corroborate · unravel · determine · ascertain
sleuth
Private investigator
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- SherlockIconic Victorian-era investigator
- HolmesFictional London investigator
Poirot · Marlowe · noir · whodunit · mystery · clue · undercover · stakeout · surveillance · tail
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- empiricalBased on observation, not theory
- studyDeliberate learning effort
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
data · analysis · methodology · findings · evidence · quantitative · qualitative · fieldwork · variables · thesis
- private investigatorHired non-police detective
- congressional investigationLawmakers probing governmental matters
- under investigationSubject to formal inquiry
- criminal investigationOfficial probe into lawbreaking
- police investigationOfficial probe into wrongdoing
- preliminary investigationInquiry before formal proceedings
investigation, investigator, investigated, investigating, investigative, investigations, investigators, investigates, investigatory