to examine a problem

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to examine a problem" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the analysis or investigation of an issue or challenge. For example, "The team met to examine a problem that had arisen during the project." Alternative expressions include "to analyze a problem" and "to investigate a problem."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

There was more trouble for the champion with the set poised to go to a tie-break as both the trainer and the doctor were called onto Centre Court to examine a problem with his left foot.

BBC

For example, brain stimulation might allow a person to examine a problem anew instead of through the mental templates of what is already known.

Plosone

In other words, by diminishing left hemisphere dominance (either by L−, R+, or the combination of both), we might have increased our subjects' tendency to examine a problem anew instead of through the mental templates of well-routinized representations and strategies.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Our interdisciplinary review process offered a novel approach to examining a problem within the healthcare discipline, but interdisciplinary research also poses many known challenges [ 4].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

The research projects were in the form of either 1) an intervention to target a nutritional problem, 2) laboratory investigation to examine a nutritional problem, 3) formative research to examine a nutritional problem, or 4) a topic of their choice in nutrition research.

BMC Medical Education

This report details a methodology that can be used to quickly examine a problem locomotive class and hence point the way towards the correct palliative treatment.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

As students follow the steps through an Odyssey, they learn to approach and examine a problem by identifying specific environmental agents and measuring their effects on health.

Environmental Health Perspectives

On the other hand, large nationally representative population surveys are more generalisable but are often not designed to examine a specific health problem and rarely have detailed clinical data or radiography results, or both.

British Medical Journal

This was my world for most of my career but occasionally I would venture into the field for a brief meeting or to examine a piping or equipment problem.

Technical Career Survival Handbook 100 Things You Need to Know

Interdisciplinary collaboration is defined as a knowledge view and curriculum approach that consciously applies methodology and language from more than one discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic or experience.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

To our knowledge, this is the first experimental approach to examine a dynamic saving-consumption problem in a retirement framework.2 In this sense, this paper also contributes to the literature on retirement behavior and pension plans (Breyer and Kifmann 2002; Fehr et al. 2003; Fatas et al. 2007; among others).

SERIEs

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use this phrase when you are in the diagnostic stage of a project. It signals that you are identifying causes rather than proposing immediate solutions.

Common error

Avoid using "to examine a problem" when you actually mean to solve it. Examining is an analytical act of observation; if you are taking action to fix the issue, prefer "to resolve a problem".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to examine a problem" functions as an infinitive phrase that typically serves as the direct object of a verb or as an adverbial clause of purpose. In many examples provided by Ludwig, it explains why an action (like calling a doctor or establishing a commission) was taken.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

25%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "to examine a problem" is a robust and universally accepted English phrase used to describe the analytical phase of addressing an issue. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a correct and highly useful expression, particularly in academic and journalistic contexts. While the exact match count is low, the phrase appears frequently in high-authority sources with slight variations (such as "to examine the problem"). It is best used when the speaker or writer wants to emphasize investigation and diagnosis over immediate action. Writers looking for more variety might consider alternatives like "to analyze an issue" for a more technical tone or "to look into a matter" for a softer, more professional approach.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to analyze an issue

Focuses on breaking down the components of the situation rather than just looking at it

to investigate a matter

Carries a more formal or legal connotation of seeking hidden facts

to look into a difficulty

More idiomatic and conversational than the original phrase

to scrutinize a challenge

Suggests a much more intense and critical level of observation

to probe a concern

Often used when the 'problem' is subjective or related to human anxiety

to study a complication

Implies a long-term academic or scientific observation

to evaluate a situation

Shifts the focus toward making a judgment or assessment of the problem

to explore a dilemma

Used specifically when the problem involves a difficult choice between two options

to inspect a malfunction

Narrower in scope, typically referring to technical or mechanical issues

to audit a discrepancy

Specific to financial or data-related errors that require verification

FAQs

How to use "to examine a problem" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe an investigation, such as: "The committee met "to examine a problem" regarding the new safety protocols."

What can I say instead of "to examine a problem"?

Depending on the intensity of your search, you could say "to analyze a problem" or "to investigate a problem".

Which is correct, "to examine a problem" or "to examine the problem"?

Both are grammatically correct. Use "a problem" when referring to an unspecified issue and "to examine the problem" when the specific issue has already been mentioned.

Is "to examine a problem" formal enough for a thesis?

Yes, it is widely used in scientific papers and academic journals. However, you might prefer "to scrutinize a phenomenon" for a more specialized tone.