scrutiny
noun
scru·ti·ny
ˈskrü-tə-nē 
ˈskrüt-nē
plural scrutinies
1
: a searching study, inquiry, or inspection : examination
2
: a searching look
3
: close watch : surveillance
Examples of scrutiny in a Sentence
the close scrutiny of data
I'd never faced that kind of scrutiny before.
Because of their past crimes, everything they do now will be subject to scrutiny.
Her opinion is based on a careful scrutiny of the text.
Recent Examples on the Web
Between rising costs, vanishing support systems and nonstop scrutiny, parenthood, as Ej Dickson describes in One Bad Mother, has started to feel less like a choice than a trap.
—
Micah Barkley, Bloomberg, 10 Apr. 2026
The demolition drew widespread outcry from preservationists, who condemned the intervention in a historic structure, as well as scrutiny over its legality.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The study is interesting as a computer science paper, but the methods and findings don’t stand up to medical scientific scrutiny, says Yuval Pinto, MD, an obesity and family medicine doctor at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The use of video technology has increased the scrutiny, even though it was never sold as a panacea to the issue of refereeing misjudgments.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrutiny
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Micah Barkley, Bloomberg, 10 Apr. 2026
The demolition drew widespread outcry from preservationists, who condemned the intervention in a historic structure, as well as scrutiny over its legality.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The study is interesting as a computer science paper, but the methods and findings don’t stand up to medical scientific scrutiny, says Yuval Pinto, MD, an obesity and family medicine doctor at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The use of video technology has increased the scrutiny, even though it was never sold as a panacea to the issue of refereeing misjudgments.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scrutiny
Cite this Entry
“Scrutiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrutiny. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scrutiny
noun
scru·ti·ny
ˈskrüt-ᵊn-ē
ˈskrüt-nē
plural scrutinies
: a close inspection : examination
Legal Definition
scrutiny
noun
scru·ti·ny
ˈskrüt-ᵊn-ē
plural scrutinies
: searching study or inquiry
specifically
: judicial investigation of the constitutionality of a statutory classification of persons under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution see also intermediate sense 2, strict scrutiny compare rational basis test
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