skeptical

skep·ti·cal | \ ˈskep-ti-kəl

How to pronounce skeptical (audio)

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Definition of skeptical

: relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism a skeptical listener

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Examples of skeptical in a Sentence

She's highly skeptical of the researchers' claims. He says he can win, but I remain skeptical. When I said I'd finished my homework early, Mom looked skeptical.

Recent Examples on the Web The attack is the latest reminder that people should remain highly skeptical of any offers for free software. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Malicious warez hosted on Bitbucket get more than 500,000 downloads," 5 Feb. 2020 Value dips Wall Street investors remain skeptical of Ford stock and CEO Jim Hackett, who took the helm in May 2017, despite revenue generated by trucks. — Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, "Ford profit-sharing checks: UAW hourly workers to get $6,600," 4 Feb. 2020 The leadership of the influential Nevada Culinary Union has remained publicly skeptical of Medicare for All, the single-payer healthcare proposal at the heart of the Sanders platform. — Alexander Tin, CBS News, "With a flurry of endorsements, Bernie Sanders shores up Nevada support," 16 Jan. 2020 However, some like George Taylor, an accountant in Sheffield, remained skeptical. — Julia Kelly, Time, "Hundreds of Britons Volunteered for a Diary-Keeping Project in 1937. They Left an Invaluable Record of World War II," 14 Jan. 2020 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced the vote would come Thursday after many in her party remained skeptical about Trump's drone attack even after an intelligence briefing outlined the administration's justification for killing Maj. — Ronald J. Hansen, azcentral, "Arizona Democrats help pass resolution to limit Trump's war powers," 9 Jan. 2020 Good Girls showrunner Jenna Bans was skeptical when NBC scripted programming co-presidents Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta approached her to take on a first-time episodic director as part of the network's new Female Forward initiative. — Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, "TV Director Lands "Break of a Lifetime" With NBC's Female Forward Initiative," 16 Dec. 2019 Officials denied the death involved foul play but the family remained skeptical. — Fox News, "Lindsay de Feliz, best-selling author, found dead in Dominican Republic in shallow grave: reports," 15 Dec. 2019 As a result, Trump was deeply skeptical toward the Administration’s own policy of supporting Ukraine and had no desire to meet with the country’s reformist new President, Volodymyr Zelensky. — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, "The Spectacular Failure of the Trump Wranglers," 20 Nov. 2019

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

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Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeptical. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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