examine
[verb]
Synonyms:
- inspect, analyse, explore, investigate, peruse, scrutinize, study, survey
- question, cross-examine, grill (informal), inquire, interrogate, quiz, test

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Related Idioms: give a going over, give the once-over, go over with a fine-toothed comb, give the third degree to, put to the question
Related Words: check (out), go (over), investigate, look (into), contemplate, look (at or over), observe, cross-examine, grill, pump

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English Thesaurus: article, story, piece, feature, review, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ex‧am‧ine S3 W2 /ɪɡˈzæmən, ɪɡˈzæmɪn/ verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: exam, examination, cross-examination, examiner; verb: examine, cross-examine]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: examiner, from Latin examinare, from examen 'weighing out']

1. to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out more about it:
A team of divers was sent down to examine the wreck.
Hegel’s philosophy will be examined in detail in Chapter 4.
examine how/whether/what etc
In the course, we will examine how and why Spain became a democracy in 1931.
examine something for something
The police will have to examine the weapon for fingerprints.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say have or take a look at somthing or someone rather than examine something or someone:
I had a look at the car but I couldn’t see anything wrong with it.

2.
if a doctor examines you, they look at your body to check that you are healthy

3. formal to ask someone questions to test their knowledge of a subject Synonym : test
examine somebody in/on something
You will be examined on American history.

4. law to officially ask someone questions in a court of law ⇒ cross-examine

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

examine
verb
I. consider/look at sb/sth carefully
ADV. carefully, closely, in detail, minutely Each case must be carefully examined. We shall now proceed to examine these two aspects of the problem in detail.
exhaustively, fully, properly, thoroughly | briefly | further | critically Critically examine your work as if you were looking at someone else's efforts.
medically
VERB + EXAMINE aim to, be designed to, seek to, set out to This study sets out to examine the possible effects of climate change.
proceed to | stop to Anna stopped to examine a plant growing by the stream.
be necessary to, need to | want to, wish to
PREP. for The room was examined minutely for clues.
PHRASES let us examine … Let us examine the implications of this theory.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

examine
II. test what sb knows/can do
ADV. externally, internally The course is externally examined (= by people from outside the college, university, etc.).
PREP. in The students will be examined in all subjects at the end of term.
on You are only being examined on this semester's work.
 ⇒ See CROSS-EXAMINATION

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

article a piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine about a particular subject:
Greg began his career writing articles for the college magazine.
an interesting newspaper article
story an article in a newspaper about a recent event, especially one that a lot of people find interesting or exciting:
a front-page story
I read a newspaper story about the crash.
The local paper ran a story (=published a story) about the festival.
piece a short article in a newspaper or magazine:
I’ve written a couple of pieces for the New York Times magazine.
The piece was first published in the Observer.
feature a special article about a particular subject, often with photographs and continuing for several pages:
They had a special feature on Croatia.
The paper did a big feature on growing your own food.
review an article in a newspaper or magazine about a book, play, product, hotel etc, giving someone’s opinion of it:
The play had rave reviews (=people liked it a lot - an informal use).
Did you see the review of the new Coldplay album?
column an article by a particular writer that appears regularly in a newspaper or magazine:
He has a weekly column in the TImes.
She writes a newspaper column on gardening.
editorial a piece of writing in a newspaper that gives the personal opinion of the editor about something that is in the news:
Several years ago the New York Times published an editorial stating that the appropriate minimum wage is $0.00.
cutting British English an article that has been cut from a newspaper or magazine:
His mother has kept all his old press cuttings.
examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out more about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
Her new book examines the causes of social discontent.
A team of divers was sent down to examine the wreckage.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
have a look at/take a look at especially spoken to quickly examine something to find out what is wrong with it or to find out more about it. Have a look at is less formal than examine, and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
I’ll have a look at your car if you like.
inspect to examine something carefully to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
Russian and American teams will have the right to inspect each other’s missile sites.
analyze (also analyse British English) to examine something carefully, especially detailed information about something, so that you can understand it:
Researchers analyzed the results of the survey.
We’re still analysing all the data.
One of the problems in analyzing the situation is that we do not have all the information yet.
study to spend a lot of time examining something very carefully, for example a problem or situation:
I won’t comment till I’ve had time to study the proposals.
A team of scientists has been studying the effects of global warming on Antarctica.
scrutinize (also scrutinise British English) to examine something very carefully to find out if there is anything wrong with it:
Congress is currently scrutinizing the deal.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

check to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I’ll just check the water level in the battery.
The immigration officer checked their passports.
We need to check the building for structural damage.
examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out something about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
inspect to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
go through something to examine something such as a document or plan from beginning to end, especially in order to check that it is correct:
You should go through the contract before you sign.
I’ve finished my essay, but I just need to go through it to check for spelling mistakes.
double-check to check something again so that you are completely sure it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I double-checked all my calculations and they seemed fine.
Travellers should double-check flight information before setting off today.
test to examine or use something in order to find out whether it works or what its qualities are, or in order to check that it is satisfactory:
Test your brakes to check they are working correctly.
These products have not been tested on animals.
monitor to carefully watch or keep checking someone or something in order to see what happens over a period of time:
Doctors monitored her progress during the night.
Observers have been monitoring the situation in Burma closely.
do a check
I did a quick check of all the windows, locked the door and left.
make a check (=do a check)
One of the nurses makes regular checks during the night.
run a check (=especially on something that is strange or suspicious)
You should run a virus check before downloading from the Internet.
carry out/conduct a check formal (=do or run a check)
The police carried out a check on the car’s registration number.
have a check British English
Always have a final check to make sure you’ve got your ticket and passport.
give something a check
I’d like you to give the car a careful check.
keep a check on somebody/something (=check something regularly)
Keep a check on your baby’s temperature.
go for a medical/dental etc check
She advised me to go for a medical check.
a quick check
A quick check showed that someone had been in the room.
a thorough/careful check
An engineer gave the computer a thorough check.
a routine check (=happening as a normal part of a process)
I went to the doctor for a routine health check.
a random check (=done without any definite pattern)
Customs officials were carrying out random checks on cars.
a regular check
It’s vital to keep a regular check on your bank balance.
a close check (=a careful one)
His teacher was keeping a close check on his progress.
a safety/security check
The security checks at the airport can take a long time.
a health/medical check
People over 60 should have regular medical checks.
a background check (=to get information about someone’s previous work, education, family etc)
The company conducts background checks on security employees.
a credit check (=to get information about someone’s financial history)
Banks usually do a credit check before they give you a loan.
a spot check (=a quick check of one thing in a group done to obtain information)
They did a spot check on 160 vehicles to see how many passengers were wearing seat belts.
a spell check (=a process in which a computer program tells you if you have spelt words wrong)
Have you done a spell check on your essay?
bill a piece of paper that tells you how much you must pay:
Many families are struggling to pay their bills.
a credit card bill
We got a huge phone bill.
I asked the waiter to bring me the bill.
invoice a document that lists the goods that a company has sent, or the services they have provided, and tells you how much you must pay. It is often sent from one company to another company:
Payment is due ten days after receipt of the invoice.
tab informal a bill that is added up at the end of a period of time, especially for food or drinks that you have had in a restaurant or hotel:
People staying in the hotel can order food or drinks to be put on their tab.
pay by cheque
You can pay by cheque or credit card.
write (out) a cheque
I had to write a cheque for £360 yesterday.
give somebody a cheque
Can I give you a cheque, or would you prefer cash?
make a cheque out/payable to somebody (=write someone's name on a cheque so it is paid to them)
Who shall I make the cheque out to?
enclose a cheque (=send it with a letter by post)
I wrote to the company enclosing a cheque for £49.99.
sign a cheque
You've forgotten to sign the cheque.
pay in a cheque (=pay a cheque into your bank account)
I went to the bank to pay in a couple of cheques.
cancel/stop a cheque (=stop a cheque from being paid to someone)
Don't forget to phone the bank and cancel that cheque.
cash a cheque (=exchange a cheque for the amount of money it is worth)
The company had cashed the cheque but not sent the goods.
accept a cheque (=take a cheque as a form of payment)
We only accept cheques if you have a bank card.
draw a cheque formal (=use a cheque to withdraw money from an account)
Customers can draw cheques for any amount they like on their accounts.
a cheque bounces (=is not paid by a bank because there is not enough money in the account)
The cheque bounced because my account was overdrawn.
a large cheque (=for a lot of money)
Sara was delighted to receive a large cheque in the post.
a blank cheque (=signed but without the amount written on it)
I wasn't sure how much the tickets would be so I gave her a blank cheque.
a post-dated cheque (=with a date on it that is later than the date you write the cheque)
She wanted a post-dated cheque for the next three months' rent.
a pay cheque (=one that you get for doing your job)
My pay cheque arrived at the end of each week.
a traveller's cheque (=a type of cheque that you can exchange for money in another country)
Are you taking some traveller's cheques on holiday?
a cheque book (=a book of cheques that your bank gives you to use)
When you open a bank account you will be given your own cheque book.
a cheque card (=a bank card shown when paying by cheque)
Cheques must be accompanied by a valid cheque card.
a cheque stub (=the part of a cheque that stays in your cheque book when you have written a cheque)
Check your cheque stubs to see when you wrote the cheque.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out more about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
Her new book examines the causes of social discontent.
A team of divers was sent down to examine the wreckage.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
have a look at/take a look at especially spoken to quickly examine something to find out what is wrong with it or to find out more about it. Have a look at is less formal than examine, and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
I’ll have a look at your car if you like.
inspect to examine something carefully to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
Russian and American teams will have the right to inspect each other’s missile sites.
analyze (also analyse British English) to examine something carefully, especially detailed information about something, so that you can understand it:
Researchers analyzed the results of the survey.
We’re still analysing all the data.
One of the problems in analyzing the situation is that we do not have all the information yet.
study to spend a lot of time examining something very carefully, for example a problem or situation:
I won’t comment till I’ve had time to study the proposals.
A team of scientists has been studying the effects of global warming on Antarctica.
review to examine something such as a situation or process to see if any changes are necessary:
The bank will review its security procedures after last week’s attack.
scrutinize (also scrutinise British English) to examine something very carefully to find out if there is anything wrong with it:
Congress is currently scrutinizing the deal.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

test a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill:
I have a chemistry test tomorrow.
Did Lauren pass her driving test?
exam (also examination formal) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year:
He’s upstairs, revising for an exam.
When do you get your exam results?
There’s a written examination at the end of the course.
quiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning:
We have a math quiz every Monday.
a pop quiz (=a quiz given by a teacher without any warning)
finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course:
During my finals I was revising till 3 o'clock in the morning most days.
final American English an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or college:
The English final was pretty hard.
midterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college:
He did badly in the midterm.
oral exam (also oral British English) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language:
Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral.
You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.
practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them:
The chemistry practical is on Monday.
mocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations:
She did well in the mocks.
paper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write:
The history paper was really difficult.
The papers are marked by the other teachers.
check to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I’ll just check the water level in the battery.
The immigration officer checked their passports.
We need to check the building for structural damage.
examine to look at something carefully and thoroughly because you want to find out something about it:
Experts who examined the painting believe it is genuine.
The police will examine the weapon for fingerprints.
inspect to look at something carefully and thoroughly in order to make sure that it is correct, safe, or working properly, especially when it is your job to do this:
The building is regularly inspected by a fire-safety officer.
Some insurance people have already been here to inspect the damage caused by the storm.
go through something to examine something such as a document or plan from beginning to end, especially in order to check that it is correct:
You should go through the contract before you sign.
I’ve finished my essay, but I just need to go through it to check for spelling mistakes.
double-check to check something again so that you are completely sure it is correct, safe, or working properly:
I double-checked all my calculations and they seemed fine.
Travellers should double-check flight information before setting off today.
monitor to carefully watch or keep checking someone or something in order to see what happens over a period of time:
Doctors monitored her progress during the night.
Observers have been monitoring the situation in Burma closely.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲