soul-searching
noun
soul-search·ing
ˈsōl-ˌsər-chiŋ 
: examination of one's conscience especially with regard to motives and values
Examples of soul-searching in a Sentence
after much soul-searching, they both realized that their marriage was essentially over
Recent Examples on the Web
Moore has some soul-searching to do in the offseason, which has already begun for all intents and purposes.
—
Austin Meek, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2025
There will be a lot of soul-searching, a lot of social posts, a lot of hot takes as to what went wrong with Coach Prime’s third campaign.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Trying to replicate Charles’ uniquely moving emotional arc from Season 1 would’ve been a fool’s errand, but Season 2 still feels emptier without comparable soul-searching.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2025
The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in 2024—taking the White House, flipping the Senate and maintaining control of the House—has sparked soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong, how to rebuild, and party leadership and direction.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soul-searching
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Austin Meek, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2025
There will be a lot of soul-searching, a lot of social posts, a lot of hot takes as to what went wrong with Coach Prime’s third campaign.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Trying to replicate Charles’ uniquely moving emotional arc from Season 1 would’ve been a fool’s errand, but Season 2 still feels emptier without comparable soul-searching.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2025
The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in 2024—taking the White House, flipping the Senate and maintaining control of the House—has sparked soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong, how to rebuild, and party leadership and direction.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soul-searching
Cite this Entry
“Soul-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soul-searching. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
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