question mark

noun

1

a

: something unknown, unknowable, or uncertain

b

: someone (such as an athlete) whose condition, talent, or potential for success is in doubt

2

: a mark ? used in writing and printing at the conclusion of a sentence to indicate a direct question

Examples of question mark in a Sentence

The team's pitching is a big question mark this season.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet question marks remain over whether a Durham man who has the right mentality for Test cricket but has work to do on his technique really is the long-term opening answer for England with time running out before next year’s Ashes. — Paul Newman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Couple bad lines with a big question mark at quarterback, and a lack of talent, and the Jets shouldn’t be expected to take a huge step forward. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

But there are some question marks surrounding UCLA’s pass catchers. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

The storm remains a question mark, however remotely, for Southern California. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for question mark

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark

Kids Definition

question mark

noun

: a punctuation mark ? used chiefly at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question