inspect

Synonym Chooser

How is the word inspect different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of inspect are examine, scan, and scrutinize. While all these words mean "to look at or over," inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects.

inspected my credentials

When can examine be used instead of inspect?

The words examine and inspect are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing.

examined the specimens

When might scan be a better fit than inspect?

In some situations, the words scan and inspect are roughly equivalent. However, scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation.

scanned the wine list

When would scrutinize be a good substitute for inspect?

The synonyms scrutinize and inspect are sometimes interchangeable, but scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail.

scrutinized the hospital bill

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 inspect During the 1990s and 2000s, for example, protests on college campuses over Nike’s use of sweatshop labor forced the company to raise the minimum age for hiring new workers at shoe factories to 18 and allow human rights groups to inspect factory conditions in Asia. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025 Those repairs also have to be completed within a year of the loan closing, and HUD’s representatives can inspect your home to make sure they’ve been done. Mallika Mitra, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025 The parties named in the determination may inspect the records and documents, in the custody of the Commission, which pertain to the determination. Matthew Klein, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025 Ford seat belt recall remedy Dealers will inspect seat belt buckle anchor bolts in all seating positions and, if the vehicle is equipped, the seat belt retractor anchor bolt and seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position, Ford said. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inspect
Verb
  • For example, in healthcare, AI marketers can examine patient records to prevent disease outbreaks or suggest personalized remedy plans.
    Vamsi Gosu, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Bernstein’s model to identify quality stocks examines factors including year-over-year sales growth, debt ratios and EBIT margins.
    Brian Evans, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • First, the customary way of developing generative AI consists of doing a massive data training effort that involves scanning a wide swath of content on the Internet.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • My drivers greeted me by name and verified my identity by asking for the last four digits of the phone number associated with my CATS-Pass account and scanning my digital ticket in the app.
    Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • McCray is a current member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, according to an arrest warrant affidavit reviewed by CBS News.
    Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • InterAct also tracks health providers that perform intersex surgeries by reviewing websites that advertise services and other public statements.
    Barbara Rodriguez and Kate Sosin, Them, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Researchers hiked into the meadows of Nanshan National Park in 2024 to survey wildlife.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The British Royal Navy reportedly routinely monitors any potential threats to national security through shadowing missions, sometimes surveying undersea cables or pipelines.
    Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inspect. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inspect

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