diff --git a/types/__tests__/type-tests.ts b/types/__tests__/type-tests.ts
index 32663fd4..fcadbb29 100644
--- a/types/__tests__/type-tests.ts
+++ b/types/__tests__/type-tests.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ async function testByRole() {
 
   // allow to query for a role that isn't included in the types
   console.assert(queryByRole(element, 'foo') === null)
+  console.assert(queryByRole(element, /foo/) === null)
+  console.assert(screen.queryByRole('foo') === null)
+  console.assert(screen.queryByRole(/foo/) === null)
 }
 
 function testA11yHelper() {
diff --git a/types/matches.d.ts b/types/matches.d.ts
index 6454c86a..86fc007c 100644
--- a/types/matches.d.ts
+++ b/types/matches.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
+import {ARIARole} from 'aria-query'
+
 export type MatcherFunction = (content: string, element: HTMLElement) => boolean
 export type Matcher = string | RegExp | MatcherFunction
 
+// Get autocomplete for ARIARole union types, while still supporting another string
+// Ref: https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/29729#issuecomment-505826972
+export type ByRoleMatcher = ARIARole | (string & {}) | RegExp | MatcherFunction
+
 export type NormalizerFn = (text: string) => string
 
 export interface MatcherOptions {
diff --git a/types/queries.d.ts b/types/queries.d.ts
index 85bfc41d..e84b6700 100644
--- a/types/queries.d.ts
+++ b/types/queries.d.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-import {Matcher, MatcherOptions} from './matches'
+import {Matcher, MatcherOptions, ByRoleMatcher} from './matches'
 import {SelectorMatcherOptions} from './query-helpers'
 import {waitForOptions} from './wait-for'
-import {ARIARole} from 'aria-query'
 
 export type QueryByBoundAttribute = (
   container: HTMLElement,
@@ -98,67 +97,37 @@ export interface ByRoleOptions extends MatcherOptions {
     | ((accessibleName: string, element: Element) => boolean)
 }
 
-// disable unified-signatures to have intellisense for aria roles
-/* tslint:disable:unified-signatures */
-export function AllByRole(
+export type AllByRole = (
   container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher,
+  role: ByRoleMatcher,
   options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement[]
-export function AllByRole(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  role: ARIARole,
-  options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement[]
+) => HTMLElement[]
 
-export function GetByRole(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher,
-  options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement
-export function GetByRole(
+export type GetByRole = (
   container: HTMLElement,
-  role: ARIARole,
+  role: ByRoleMatcher,
   options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement
+) => HTMLElement
 
-export function QueryByRole(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher | ByRoleOptions,
-  options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement | null
-export function QueryByRole(
+export type QueryByRole = (
   container: HTMLElement,
-  role: ARIARole,
+  role: ByRoleMatcher,
   options?: ByRoleOptions,
-): HTMLElement | null
+) => HTMLElement | null
 
-export function FindByRole(
+export type FindByRole = (
   container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher,
+  role: ByRoleMatcher,
   options?: ByRoleOptions,
   waitForElementOptions?: waitForOptions,
-): Promise<HTMLElement>
-export function FindByRole(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  role: ARIARole,
-  options?: ByRoleOptions,
-  waitForElementOptions?: waitForOptions,
-): Promise<HTMLElement>
+) => Promise<HTMLElement>
 
-export function FindAllByRole(
+export type FindAllByRole = (
   container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher,
+  role: ByRoleMatcher,
   options?: ByRoleOptions,
   waitForElementOptions?: waitForOptions,
-): Promise<HTMLElement[]>
-export function FindAllByRole(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  role: Matcher,
-  options?: ByRoleOptions,
-  waitForElementOptions?: waitForOptions,
-): Promise<HTMLElement[]>
-/* tslint:enable */
+) => Promise<HTMLElement[]>
 
 export const getByLabelText: GetByText
 export const getAllByLabelText: AllByText
@@ -196,12 +165,12 @@ export const queryByDisplayValue: QueryByBoundAttribute
 export const queryAllByDisplayValue: AllByBoundAttribute
 export const findByDisplayValue: FindByBoundAttribute
 export const findAllByDisplayValue: FindAllByBoundAttribute
-export const getByRole: typeof GetByRole
-export const getAllByRole: typeof AllByRole
-export const queryByRole: typeof QueryByRole
-export const queryAllByRole: typeof AllByRole
-export const findByRole: typeof FindByRole
-export const findAllByRole: typeof FindAllByRole
+export const getByRole: GetByRole
+export const getAllByRole: AllByRole
+export const queryByRole: QueryByRole
+export const queryAllByRole: AllByRole
+export const findByRole: FindByRole
+export const findAllByRole: FindAllByRole
 export const getByTestId: GetByBoundAttribute
 export const getAllByTestId: AllByBoundAttribute
 export const queryByTestId: QueryByBoundAttribute