distrusted; distrusting; distrusts
: to have no trust or confidence in
Examples of distrust in a Sentence
Noun
He has a distrust of doctors.
the psychic's bold claims were greeted with distrust and outright scorn
Verb
She's always distrusted their promises.
we instinctively distrust those phone calls that tell us we have won a free vacation or car
Recent Examples on the Web
Renée Onque, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Additionally, the juvenile justice system struggles with overcrowding, fragmented services, lack of effective rehabilitation, and distrust between youth and their families and authorities, with efforts to address these issues consistently hampered by systemic failures.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
But Weiss’s arrival at the network also coincided with a long-simmering crisis in broadcast news, in which its programming is increasingly distrusted by a rapidly dwindling audience.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
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Noun
This can fuel medical distrust, Evans adds.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Additionally, the juvenile justice system struggles with overcrowding, fragmented services, lack of effective rehabilitation, and distrust between youth and their families and authorities, with efforts to address these issues consistently hampered by systemic failures.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Many people living in communities where the virus is spreading face health care barriers and distrust the government.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
But Weiss’s arrival at the network also coincided with a long-simmering crisis in broadcast news, in which its programming is increasingly distrusted by a rapidly dwindling audience.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distrust
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distrust
1 of 2 verb
dis·trust
(ˈ)dis-ˈtrəst 
: to have no trust or confidence in
distrust
2 of 2 noun
: a lack of trust or confidence
distrustful
adjective
-fəl
distrustfully
adverb
-fə-lē
distrustfulness
noun
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