How to say "probing" in Japanese

• 探りさぐりCommon
  nounCovers probing or sounding in the everyday sense of feeling something out or investigating tentatively. It is the common word of the three and the usual choice when you mean quietly testing or feeling around for information or reaction.
• 穿鑿せんさく
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers probing into something, with the nuance of digging into details or prying. It suits close scrutiny of a matter, often with a hint of excessive or intrusive investigation, and is a less common word.
• 探測たんそく
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers probing in the sense of sounding, as in measuring or testing something. It is a less common word and is typically the choice for technical or measurement contexts rather than figurative probing into a matter.

Use 「探り」 for the general act of probing or sounding something out, 穿鑿 for probing into matters with a prying or scrutinizing nuance, and 探測 for technical probing or sounding.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 探りさぐりsounding
• 穿鑿せんさくprobing (into)
• 探測たんそくprobing