  Low-lying excited states in the $N=32$ isotope $^{50}$Ar were investigated by
in-beam $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy following proton- and neutron-knockout,
multi-nucleon removal, and proton inelastic scattering at the RIKEN Radioactive
Isotope Beam Factory. The energies of the two previously reported transitions
have been confirmed, and five additional states are presented for the first
time, including a candidate for a 3$^-$ state. The level scheme built using
$\gamma\gamma$ coincidences was compared to shell-model calculations in the
$sd-pf$ model space, and to ab initio predictions based on chiral two- and
three-nucleon interactions. Theoretical proton- and neutron-knockout cross
sections suggest that two of the new transitions correspond to $2^+$ states,
while the previously proposed $4^+$ state could also correspond to a $2^+$
state.
