Police Investigating Investigate ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt Investigated Called Noise Links

• the fbi has been called in to investigate.
• ‘what was that noise?’ ‘i'll go and investigate.’
• police are investigating possible links between the murders.
• police are investigating what happened.

investigate

1. to carefully examine the facts of a situation, an event, a crime, etc. to find out the truth about it or how it happened
• The FBI has been called in to investigate.
• ‘What was that noise?’ ‘I'll go and investigate.’
• Police are investigating possible links between the murders.
• Police are investigating what happened.
2. to try to find out information about somebody’s character, activities, etc.
• This is not the first time he has been investigated by the police for fraud.
3. to find out information and facts about a subject or problem by study or research
• Scientists are investigating the effects of diet on fighting cancer.
• The research investigates how foreign speakers gain fluency.

Extra Examples

• He is being investigated for illegal business dealings.
• Police have been called in to investigate the complaints.
• The allegations have not yet been properly investigated.
• The company has pledged to investigate claims that its products are unsafe.
• ‘What was that noise?’ ‘I’ll go and investigate.’
• Police are investigating possible links between the two murders.

Verb Forms

• present simple I / you / we / they investigate
• he / she / it investigates
• past simple investigated
• past participle investigated
• -ing form investigating

Word Origin

• early 16th cent.: from Latin investigat- ‘traced out’, from the verb investigare, from in- ‘into’ + vestigare ‘track, trace out’.