soul-searching

noun

soul-search·​ing ˈsōl-ˌsər-chiŋ How to pronounce soul-searching (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The conference call was dispiriting, with CEO Andy Jassy giving a long and unnecessary soul-searching answer to Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak's question about Amazon falling behind in generative. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025 The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in November—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 and how to rebuild. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025 Bastian’s efforts to fix these problems in 2023—barring Basic Economy passengers and capping the number of visits allowed for credit card holders—sparked backlash on customers’ part and soul-searching for Bastian. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 July 2025 The meetups come as Democrats grapple with how the democratic socialist fits into the party that’s been soul-searching after 2024 losses. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for soul-searching

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soul-searching was in 1924

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Cite this Entry

“Soul-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soul-searching. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

soul-searching

noun
soul-search·​ing
ˈsōl-ˌsər-chiŋ
: examination of one's conscience and especially one's reasons and values
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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