What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
investigate
Example
The police are investigating the robbery that took place last night. [investigating: present participle]
Example
The committee was formed to investigate the allegations of corruption in the company. [investigate: verb]
scrutinize
Example
The teacher scrutinized the student's essay for errors and inconsistencies. [scrutinized: past tense]
Example
The investors scrutinized the business plan before deciding to invest in the startup. [scrutinize: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Investigate is more commonly used than scrutinize in everyday language. Investigate is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while scrutinize is less common and often used in more formal or critical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between investigate and scrutinize?
Investigate is more formal than scrutinize. Investigate is often used in legal or official contexts, while scrutinize can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
