second-guess

verb

sec·​ond-guess ˌse-kᵊŋ-ˈges 

-kən(d)-

second-guessed; second-guessing; second-guesses

transitive verb

1

: to criticize or question actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known

meet almost every morning and, over coffee, second-guess the local coach

—Bruce Newman

also : to engage in such criticism of (an action or decision)

second-guess the general's strategy

2

: to seek to anticipate or predict

lived royally by his ability to second-guess the stock market

—Time

second-guesser noun

Examples of second-guess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Trump administration argued courts can't second-guess the president's decisions. —Arkansas Online, 21 June 2025

The administration argued that courts cannot second-guess the president's decisions. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025

But the judges first should realize that the Constitution gives them little right to second-guess the executive’s exercise of powers over the military during an emergency. —Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 19 June 2025

Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images Now, the second-guessing is all that's left for fans who did not want to see Devers shipped out of town at midseason, and Breslow apparently isn't above it. —Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

second-guess

verb

sec·​ond-guess

ˌsek-ᵊŋ-ˈges,

-ən-

1

: to question or criticize actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known

2

: predict

second-guesser noun