diff --git a/atlas-core/src/main/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabulary.scala b/atlas-core/src/main/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabulary.scala
index 40d2836ac..f744c53cd 100644
--- a/atlas-core/src/main/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabulary.scala
+++ b/atlas-core/src/main/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabulary.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.netflix.atlas.core.stacklang.SimpleWord
 import com.netflix.atlas.core.stacklang.StandardVocabulary
 import com.netflix.atlas.core.stacklang.Vocabulary
 import com.netflix.atlas.core.stacklang.Word
+import com.netflix.spectator.impl.matcher.PatternUtils
 
 object QueryVocabulary extends Vocabulary {
 
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ object QueryVocabulary extends Vocabulary {
     GreaterThanEqual,
     Regex,
     RegexIgnoreCase,
+    Contains,
     In,
     And,
     Or,
@@ -329,6 +331,38 @@ object QueryVocabulary extends Vocabulary {
       List("name,DiscoveryStatus_(UP|DOWN)", "name,discoverystatus_(Up|Down)", "ERROR:name")
   }
 
+  case object Contains extends KeyValueWord {
+
+    override def name: String = "contains"
+
+    def newInstance(k: String, v: String): Query = Query.Regex(k, s".*${PatternUtils.escape(v)}")
+
+    override def summary: String =
+      """
+        |Query expression that matches time series with a value that contains the given
+        |sequence of characters. This version is case sensitive.
+        |
+        |> :warning: This operation always requires a full scan and should be avoided if at all
+        |possible. Queries using this operation may be de-priortized.
+        |
+        |Suppose you have four time series:
+        |
+        |* `name=http.requests, status=200, nf.app=server`
+        |* `name=sys.cpu, type=user, nf.app=foo`
+        |* `name=sys.cpu, type=user, nf.app=bar`
+        |* `name=sys.cpu, type=user, nf.app=foobar`
+        |
+        |The query `nf.app,bar,:contains` would match series with "bar" anywhere in
+        |the string:
+        |
+        |* `name=sys.cpu, type=user, nf.app=bar`
+        |* `name=sys.cpu, type=user, nf.app=foobar`
+      """.stripMargin.trim
+
+    override def examples: List[String] =
+      List("name,request", "result,error")
+  }
+
   case object In extends SimpleWord {
 
     override def name: String = "in"
diff --git a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/db/MemoryDatabaseSuite.scala b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/db/MemoryDatabaseSuite.scala
index 5f9f792c5..2050da22f 100644
--- a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/db/MemoryDatabaseSuite.scala
+++ b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/db/MemoryDatabaseSuite.scala
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ class MemoryDatabaseSuite extends FunSuite {
     assertEquals(exec("name,[ab]$,:re"), List(ts("sum(name~/^[ab]$/)", 1, 4.0, 4.0, 4.0)))
   }
 
+  test(":contains query") {
+    assertEquals(exec("name,a,:contains"), List(ts("sum(name~/^.*a/)", 1, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)))
+  }
+
   test(":has query") {
     assertEquals(exec("name,:has"), List(ts("sum(has(name))", 1, 19.0, 22.0, 25.0)))
   }
diff --git a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/ModelExtractorsSuite.scala b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/ModelExtractorsSuite.scala
index 7c246fec0..c9b820bd6 100644
--- a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/ModelExtractorsSuite.scala
+++ b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/ModelExtractorsSuite.scala
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class ModelExtractorsSuite extends FunSuite {
   }
 
   completionTest("name", 8)
-  completionTest("name,sps", 19)
+  completionTest("name,sps", 20)
   completionTest("name,sps,:eq", 20)
   completionTest("name,sps,:eq,app,foo,:eq", 41)
   completionTest("name,sps,:eq,app,foo,:eq,:and,(,asg,)", 12)
diff --git a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QuerySuite.scala b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QuerySuite.scala
index 3e1bf273d..faf56ecca 100644
--- a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QuerySuite.scala
+++ b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QuerySuite.scala
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class QuerySuite extends FunSuite {
   }
 
   test("matchesAny re with key match") {
-    val q = GreaterThan("foo", "b")
+    val q = Regex("foo", "b")
     assert(matchesAny(q, Map("foo" -> List("bar"), "bar"        -> List("foo"))))
     assert(matchesAny(q, Map("foo" -> List("foo", "bar"), "bar" -> List("foo"))))
     assert(matchesAny(q, Map("foo" -> List("bar", "baz"), "bar" -> List("foo"))))
@@ -650,4 +650,5 @@ class QuerySuite extends FunSuite {
     val q = Or(Equal("a", "1"), In("b", List("1", "2")))
     assertEquals(Query.expandInClauses(q, 1), List(q))
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabularySuite.scala b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabularySuite.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dd365c52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/QueryVocabularySuite.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package com.netflix.atlas.core.model
+
+import com.netflix.atlas.core.model.Query.Regex
+import com.netflix.atlas.core.stacklang.Interpreter
+import munit.FunSuite
+
+class QueryVocabularySuite extends FunSuite {
+
+  val interpreter = new Interpreter(QueryVocabulary.allWords)
+
+  test("contains, escape") {
+    var exp = interpreter.execute("a,^$.?*+[](){}\\#&!%,:contains").stack(0)
+    assertEquals(
+      exp.asInstanceOf[Regex].pattern.toString,
+      ".*\\^\\$\\.\\?\\*\\+\\[\\]\\(\\)\\{\\}\\\\#&!%"
+    )
+    exp = interpreter.execute("a,space and ~,:contains").stack(0)
+    assertEquals(
+      exp.asInstanceOf[Regex].pattern.toString,
+      ".*space\\u0020and\\u0020~"
+    )
+  }
+
+  test("contains, matches escaped") {
+    val q = interpreter
+      .execute("foo,my $var. [work-in-progress],:contains")
+      .stack(0)
+      .asInstanceOf[Regex]
+    assert(q.matches(Map("foo" -> "my $var. [work-in-progress]")))
+    assert(q.matches(Map("foo" -> "initialize my $var. [work-in-progress], not a range")))
+    assert(!q.matches(Map("foo" -> "my $var. [work-in progress]")))
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/TimeSeriesExprSuite.scala b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/TimeSeriesExprSuite.scala
index 604e186cc..e2a7df800 100644
--- a/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/TimeSeriesExprSuite.scala
+++ b/atlas-core/src/test/scala/com/netflix/atlas/core/model/TimeSeriesExprSuite.scala
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class TimeSeriesExprSuite extends FunSuite {
     "name,1,:eq"                 -> const(ts(Map("name" -> "1"), 1)),
     "name,1,:re"                 -> const(ts(unknownTag, 11)),
     "name,2,:re"                 -> const(ts(unknownTag, 2)),
+    "name,2,:contains"           -> const(ts(unknownTag, 2)),
     "name,(,1,10,),:in"          -> const(ts(unknownTag, 11)),
     "name,1,:eq,name,10,:eq,:or" -> const(ts(unknownTag, 11)),
     ":true,:abs"                 -> const(ts(unknownTag, "abs(name=unknown)", 55.0)),
diff --git a/project/Dependencies.scala b/project/Dependencies.scala
index 1429d9699..3e3f55c13 100644
--- a/project/Dependencies.scala
+++ b/project/Dependencies.scala
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ object Dependencies {
     val log4j      = "2.18.0"
     val scala      = "2.13.8"
     val slf4j      = "1.7.36"
-    val spectator  = "1.3.7"
+    val spectator  = "1.3.8"
     val spring     = "5.3.22"
 
     val crossScala = Seq(scala)