question 1 of 2

1
as in problem
an interrogative expression often used to test knowledge because I have missed so many classes, I had a hard time answering every question on today's surprise quiz

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in request
an act or instance of asking for information after reading the brief statement to the reporters, the lawyer ended the press conference by saying, "No more questions, please" the dozens of questions researched by the reference librarians

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
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question

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to challenge
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of the teenager openly questioned the authority of the town's police force to impose a curfew on residents under the age of 18

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in it was apparent that voters were questioning the President's ability to manage the economy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in to ask
to put a question or questions to the press should be allowed to question public officials about any matter of general interest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in to examine
to put a series of questions to the police questioned the suspect before deciding that there was insufficient evidence to hold him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb question contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of question are ask, inquire, interrogate, and query. While all these words mean "to address a person in order to gain information," question usually suggests the asking of series of questions.

questioned them about every detail of the trip

When can ask be used instead of question?

Although the words ask and question have much in common, ask implies no more than the putting of a question.

ask for directions

In what contexts can inquire take the place of question?

While in some cases nearly identical to question, inquire implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.

began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue

When could interrogate be used to replace question?

The meanings of interrogate and question largely overlap; however, interrogate suggests formal or official systematic questioning.

the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day

When would query be a good substitute for question?

In some situations, the words query and question are roughly equivalent. However, query implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.

queried a librarian about the book

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 question
Noun
That’s partly because A.I. is a fractious and changing field, in which opinions differ; partly because so much of the latest A.I. research is proprietary and unpublished; and partly because there can be no firm answers to fundamentally speculative questions—only probabilities. Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 27 May 2025 Recently, however, the U.S. president has thrown the future of American military aid to Ukraine into question. Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
Verb
While the total square footage of office space owned and leased by the Department of General Services has increased, many state workers question whether there are enough desks for all their colleagues to be in offices in July. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2025 The eight-figure dollar amount is likely to be key to the defense’s attempt to question Ventura’s motives. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for question
Recent Examples of Synonyms for question
Noun
  • The platform ran into problems Thursday, when nearly 6,000 users reported issues with X’s website and app.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • Corday was married to actor Richard Long (Bourbon Street Beat, 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, Nanny and the Professor) from 1957 until his death in 1974 at age 47 from heart problems.
    Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • Petrovich did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
    Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • And an attorney representing local developers cited the law in objection to the county’s move to prevent thousands of new homes from being built beyond the county’s development boundary.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • The defense objected to the response, and the judge sustained the objection, meaning the jury cannot consider his response as evidence.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.
    Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
  • The idea feels like a funny vestigial trace of a pre-pandemic world—Are watercooler topics still a thing?
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Ritchie's attorneys are challenging that decision in federal court and have also filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.
    CBS News, CBS News, 20 May 2025
  • Now, Porter is challenging herself by coming to the Broadway stage — something she's said on social media has long been a dream of hers.
    Dave Quinn, People.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Body camera footage obtained by his attorney, Keith Rutman, shows officers debating whether to take him to a nearby psychiatric hospital.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • In fact, a simple search for side part on TikTok will generate a range of videos debating whether the look is either cheugy or the comeback style of the century.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • The existence of any prehistoric apex predators in the islands of the Caribbean used to be doubted.
    Ashley Belanger – May 16, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
  • Instead, their context, brevity and limited outcome provided skeptics with more reasons to doubt Moscow wants peace.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • That’s the question writer-director Ari Aster’s somber comedy-Western Eddington, playing in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival, appears to be asking.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
  • Here's why Cassie said Combs threatened to 'blow up' Kid Cudi's car During cross-examination, Ventura Fine was asked about her relationship with rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Question.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/question. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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