probe (into)

1. VERB

If you probe into something, you ask questions or try to discover facts about it.    

• The more they probed into his background, the more inflamed their suspicions would become.     
• For three years, I have probed for understanding.     
• The Office of Fair Trading has been probing banking practices.     
• The form asks probing questions.

4. VERB

If you probe a place, you search it in order to find someone or something that you are looking for.     

• A flashlight beam probed the underbrush only yards away from their hiding place.     
• I probed around for some time in the bushes.

... cobuild