Meaning & use

searching

adjective·Academic

Thorough and probing, especially when examining or questioning something closely.

See it in a sentence

The journalist asked searching questions that the politician struggled to answer.

She gave him a searching look, trying to tell if he was lying.

A note on using this word

Searching most often modifies look or question, suggesting an attempt to uncover something hidden or true.

Words with a similar meaning

probingpenetrating

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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