question mark

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: question mark in a Sentence

Definition of question mark

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

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See question mark defined for kids

Examples of question mark in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of question mark from the Web

Still a big question mark, though, is whether the voters in November would support an increase in the hotel tax, even with the broad coalition backing the measure.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hearing delayed on $300M hotel project planned on convention expansion site," 2 May 2018
Colts: Andrew Luck, QB Stanford Re-pick: Russell Wilson, QB Wisconsin A year ago, Luck may have held on here, but with his shoulder remaining a gigantic question mark, Wilson, a third-round pick, is the obvious choice.

— steven ruiz, For The Win, "Re-picking every No. 1 NFL draft pick since 2000," 26 Apr. 2018
One of the team’s biggest question marks, the group created some optimism the pass game could still be quite potent, even with Cedrick Wilson gone.

— dave southorn, idahostatesman, "Boise State football enters summer with loaded roster, embraces high expectations | Idaho Statesman," 20 Apr. 2018
Seismic safety may be the biggest remaining question mark, especially for a region like the Pacific Northwest, where there’s much more earthquake risk than Europe.

— matthew berger, Newsweek, "Wooden Buildings as Strong as Steel," 20 Feb. 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo headlines the star studded lineup but question marks remain over whether Zidane will opt for Lucas Vasquez ahead of Gareth Bale on the right wing, despite the Welshman's recent up turn in form.

— SI.com, "Real Madrid Announce 24-Man Squad for Champions League Final in Kiev," 24 May 2018
But there’s been a big question mark over which messages Democrats should lead with.

— tara golshan, Vox, "Democrats’ new “Better Deal for Our Democracy,” explained," 21 May 2018
But Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, said Mexico is a big question mark depending on the outcome of the election.

— mimi whitefield, miamiherald, "Economies in the Americas are poised to expand but plenty of uncertainties could still slow growth | Miami Herald," 14 May 2018
Because Margaret Atwood only wrote one Handmaid's Tale book, what's going to happen in season two is still a mystery—which makes season three's plot even more of a question mark.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "‘The Handmaid's Tale’ Is Officially Coming Back For a Third Season," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'question mark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of question mark

1862

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

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QUESTION MARK Defined for English Language Learners

question mark

noun

Definition of question mark for English Language Learners

: the punctuation mark ? that is used after a direct question or to indicate that something (such as a birth date) is uncertain
: someone or something that causes feelings of doubt or uncertainty