INQUIRY Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

inquiry

noun

in-ˈkwī(-ə)r-ē

Definition of inquiry

as in investigation

a systematic search for the truth or facts about something an inquiry into the origins of the universe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in request

an act or instance of asking for information one student made a hesitant inquiry about the assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inquiry An inquiry on the Kaiser Permanente patient portal indicated that there was a limited supply left of the 2025-2026 COVID vaccine since that particular vaccine is no longer being produced. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Vance’s press representatives also did not immediately respond to an inquiry from PEOPLE on Tuesday. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Ivan Capifali, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed his retirement on Monday via a news release from the mayor’s office following inquiries from the Tribune. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Dick’s Sporting Goods faces questions over weakening demand Levi & Korsinsky on Friday announced an inquiry into possible securities claims against Dick’s following its second-quarter earnings miss and reduced outlook. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inquiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inquiry

Noun

Multiple agencies from surrounding cities helped with the investigation.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
According to a report from LASD released Tuesday, no arrests were made during the search and seizure and the investigation into the Arcadia business is ongoing.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of investigation

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

Noun

As Kevin Warsh thinks more hawkishly than expected in Washington, the answers to many of his questions may be in Seoul.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Although not quite as polished on the racial politics front, Lanterns’s third episode is no less intriguing, as an hour of television dedicated not only to answering pressing questions but fleshing out its lead character in disturbing ways.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of question

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

Noun

All of Roman’s data will be made publicly available as soon as it is processed on Earth, providing a treasure trove for scientists to mine for answers to a multitude of cosmic queries.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Monetization through ads will help OpenAI partially cover the cost of generating inference for a query and stem the company's losses, experts said.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of query

Noun

But Andrew DiCapua, the chamber’s principal economist and the study’s author, maintains that the results still apply today.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Cohere this week released an IDC study of executives in four countries, which shows that most believe that AI sovereignty is important, but few can define it or have a firm plan for achieving it.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026