152 Analysis Verbs

Analysis verbs are helpful in demonstrating your higher-order thinking skills. They help you to show that you haven’t just understood what you read, but that you can also critique it.

Use analysis verbs as a way of demonstrating your mastery of a topic. But instead of simply using the same verb over and over again, try to mix up your use of analysis verbs to convey the most precise meaning you can in each context.

Below are over 150 examples of analysis verbs that you can use. Make sure you choose wisely for your situation.

Analysis Verbs List

Examples of Analysis Verbs in a Sentence

Advises – Johnson advises that students should finish their essays at least two weeks before due date.

Advocates – The writer advocates for one perspective over another.

Affects – The study affects how we perceive the data.

Alleges – The author alleges that earlier research was poorly conducted.

Alludes – In his speech, the student alludes to recent studies.

Amplifies – The new information amplifies the theory.

Argues – The professor argues that their position is more valid.

Articulates – The student articulates her ideas well.

Asserts – The article asserts that the data was valid.

Assesses – The teacher assesses that the students had poor understanding of the material.

Attributes – The article attributes the cause of the changes to the researcher’s intervention.

Bolsters – The new evidence bolsters the case.

Builds – The professor builds upon their previous arguments in their new book.

Casts Doubt – The study casts doubt on the previous research.

Certifies – The article certifies that the data is accurate.

Characterizes – The article characterizes the data as accurate.

Claims – The author claims that they have found new information.

Clarifies – The author clarifies what they mean in the second paragraph.

Collates – The study accurately collates the data.

Compares – The study compares their findings to previous findings.

Compels – The evidence compels the jury to find the defendant guilty.

Complies – The study complies with the requirements for methodological rigor.

Concedes – The author concedes that they were wrong.

Concludes – The study concludes that there is a correlation between sleep and grades.

Confirms – The new data confirms the theory.

Connects – The study connects the dots to generate new data.

Constructs – The professor constructs an argument.

Contradicts – The new evidence contradicts the old evidence.

Contrasts – The article contrasts the two perspectives.

Conveys – The author conveys their feelings about the subject matter.

Correlates – The study correlates the two datasets effectively.

Creates – The study creates a strong argument.

Criticizes – The article criticizes the government’s response to the crisis.

Critiques – The student critiques the article.

Deconstructs – The professor deconstructs the popular theory.

Deepens – The research deepens our understanding of the phenomenon.

Defends – The author defends their position.

Demonstrates – The experiment demonstrates that the data is accurate.

Denies – The author denies that the previous study is accurate.

Denotes – The study denotes that there is a link between the two datasets.

Derives – The student derives their conclusion from the data.

Develops – The author develops a new theory.

Deviates – The results deviate from what was expected.

Differentiates – The article differentiates between the two types of research.

Diminishes – The impact of the evidence diminishes over time.

Disagrees – The two scientists disagree about the results of the experiment.

Discards – The author discards the irrelevant evidence.

Discredits – The study discredits the old evidence.

Disproves – The new evidence disproves the theory.

Distinguishes – The article distinguishes between the two types of research.

Eclipses – The new evidence eclipses the old evidence.

Elaborates – The author elaborates on their point in the second paragraph.

Elevates – The writer elevates their position.

Elicits – The writer elicits a response from their readers.

Embellishes – The author embellishes the story with details.

Embodies – The book embodies the ideals of the movement.

Emphasizes – The author emphasizes their point with an example.

Encourages – The teacher encourages the students to think outside the box.

Enhances – The study enhances the strength of previous studies.

Equates – The article equates the two phenomena.

Establishes – The study establishes a connection between the two concepts.

Evaluates – The professor evaluates the students’ papers.

Evokes – The article evokes a feeling of frustration.

Exaggerates – The article exaggerates its findings.

Examines – The study examines the points in more depth than ever before.

Exemplifies – The student exemplifies their knowledge of the material.

Exhibits – The author exhibits a depth of knowledge around the topic.

Exonerates – The new evidence exonerates the accused.

Expands – The theory expands previous knowledge on the topic.

Exposes – The article exposes previously unknown information.

Extends – The research extends our understanding of the phenomenon.

Extrapolates – The scientist extrapolates from past trends to make predictions.

Facilitates – The author facilitates knowledge transfer through detailed writing.

Forecasts – The study forecasts future trends.

Foreshadows – The author foreshadows that new findings will come soon.

Formulates – The study formulates a hypothesis.

Frames – The article frames the issue in a new light.

Furnishes – The study furnishes evidence to support its claims.

Gauges – The scholar gauges people’s reactions through a new blog post on the topic.

Generates – The scholar generates a new theory by bringing together a range of different ideas.

Highlights – The article highlights the importance of the issues.

Hints – The article hints that there may be a link between the data.

Hypothesizes – The researcher hypothesizes that there is a link between two concepts.

Illustrates – The author illustrates their point with an example.

Imagines – The author imagines a future where their findings will change the world.

Imparts – The teacher imparts knowledge to her students.

Implies – The study implies that there is a link between the two concepts.

Incorporates – The author incorporates three new ideas in their new book.

Indicates – The study indicates that there is a link between the two concepts.

Infers – The reader infers from the data that there is a link between the two concepts.

Insinuates – The article insinuates that there is a problem with previous studies.

Integrates – The author integrates three ideas into one thesis very well.

Interprets – The author interprets previous studies in the wrong way.

Invents – The author invents a new way to look at the issue.

Investigates – The scholar investigates the issue.

Isolates – The study isolates a group of people to focus on.

Justifies – The study justifies its cost by pointing to the revolutionary findings.

Lambasts – The article lambasts the previous scholars’ inaction on the topic.

Lauds – The article lauds the efforts of the university to improve its work.

Legitimizes – The author legitimizes previous studies.

Limits – The study limits its focus to a specific group of people.

Magnifies – The article magnifies the effects of climate change.

Maintains – The author maintains that this is a worthwhile argument despite some critique.

Manipulates – The author manipulates the data in the study to meet their biases.

Misses the Point – The article misses the point of the issue.

Negates – The study negates the hypothesis that there is a link between social media and depression.

Neglects – The article neglects to mention the other side of the issue.

Obscures – The author obscures the fact that they don’t have much evidence to support their claims.

Omits – The article omits vital information about the issue.

Optimizes – The author optimizes their argument by structuring their paragraphs well.

Overlooks – The article overlooks the fact that there are other ways to look at the issue.

Draws Parallels – The article draws parallels between two previously unlinked concepts.

Particularizes – The article particularizes the issue.

Perpetuates – The article perpetuates false narratives.

Personifies – The article personifies the issue well.

Persuades – The article persuades the reader to take action.

Pivots – The author pivots from talking about the effects of the issue to talking about what we can do to solve it.

Points Out – The article points out that climate change is a global problem.

Predicts – The article predicts that the problem will get worse.

Prejudices – The study prejudices the results by only looking at one group of people.

Presupposes – The article presupposes that the reader knows a lot about the issue.

Probes – The author probes the issue with new questions.

Problematizes – The article problematizes the issue.

Promotes – The article promotes the idea that we need to take action.

Proposes – The article proposes a new way to look at the issue.

Proves – The article proves that the issue is real and happening.

Provokes – The article provokes the reader to think about the issue more deeply.

Queries – The article queries the validity of the issue.

Rationalizes – The company rationalizes its actions.

Recapitulates – The article recapitulates the main points of the issue but doesn’t add new data.

Refutes – The article refutes previous claims.

Reinforces – The article reinforces the idea that the issue is a big problem.

Reiterates – The article reiterates the main points on the issue.

Reveals – The study reveals that there is a link between two concepts.

Ridicules – The article ridicules the other scholar’s ideas.

Sensationalizes – The article sensationalizes the findings from their dataset to gain attention.

Simplifies – The article simplifies the issue too much.

Speculates – The article speculates on the future of the issue.

Strengthens – The article strengthens the reader’s understanding of the issue.

Substantiates – The article substantiates the idea that the issue is serious.

Supports – The article supports previous studies.

Underlines – The article underlines the importance of taking action on this issue.

Undermines – The article undermines the reader’s trust in previous research.

Unifies – The article unifies the different perspectives on the issue.

Urges – The article urges the reader to take action on the issue.

Validates – The study validates the link between the two concepts.

Verifies – The article verifies the claims made in the previous study.

Vilifies – The article vilifies its opponents.

Warns – The article warns that the effects will only get worse over time.

Weakens – The article weakens the reader’s understanding of the issue.

Withstands – The article withstands scrutiny.

Conclusion

Not all of the above analysis verbs will be perfect for every situation, but one of them will be perfect for you! Select a range of verbs for analysis when writing a critical review. Similarly, for people seeking analysis verbs for learning outcomes, try to select ones that perfectly capture what you want to see from your students.