scrutinize

verb

scru·​ti·​nize ˈskrü-tə-ˌnīz 

scrutinized; scrutinizing

transitive verb

: to examine closely and minutely

intransitive verb

: to make a scrutiny

scrutinizer noun

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Scrutinize This Word's Etymology

Scrutinize the history of scrutinize far back enough and you wind up sifting through trash: the word comes from Latin scrutari, which means "to search, to examine," and scrutari likely comes from scruta, meaning "trash," the etymology evoking one who searches through trash for anything of value. The noun scrutiny preceded scrutinize in English, and in its earliest 15th century use referred to a formal vote, and later to an official examination of votes. Scrutinize was established in the 17th century with its familiar "to examine closely" meaning, but retained reference to voting with the meaning "to examine votes" at least into the 18th century. And while the term scrutineer can be a general term referring to someone who examines something, it is also sometimes used specifically as a term for an election poll watcher.

Synonyms of scrutinize

• examine
• review
• scan
• inspect
• survey

Choose the Right Synonym for scrutinize

scrutinize, scan, inspect, examine mean to look at or over.

scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail.

scrutinized the hospital bill

scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation.

scanned the wine list

inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects.

inspected my credentials

examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing.

examined the specimens

Examples of scrutinize in a Sentence

I closely scrutinized my opponent's every move.

Her performance was carefully scrutinized by her employer.

Recent Examples on the Web

To make those raises sustainable, owners are scrutinizing overhead and compliance gaps—optimizing benefits, tightening job classifications, and benchmarking pay against the market—while letting AI and automation strip out administrative waste. —Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025

This winter marks Melania's first holiday season back in the White House since her husband's first previous term, during which her Christmas themes and motifs were scrutinized. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

Some art historians have scrutinized the sale for cultural reasons, while others have raised concern that the painting -- last exhibited publicly in the late 1990s -- could again disappear from public view after the auction. —Arkansas Online, 30 Nov. 2025

During a three-hour trial, Galvez Turros’s attorney scrutinized granular details, like Escalona’s Amazon purchase history, and analyzed time-stamped photos of an apartment building Escalona testified he’s been living in since last summer. —Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for scrutinize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

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Kids Definition

scrutinize

verb

scru·​ti·​nize ˈskrüt-ᵊn-ˌīz 

scrutinized; scrutinizing

: to examine very closely : inspect