How to Use second-guess in a Sentence

second-guess

verb
  • Kind of hard to second-guess that move, but the Bears will be armed with two second-rounders in 2025.
    Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024
  • Give yourself time to get over the second-guessing and try not to change the story.
    Meredith Goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
  • There was no time to — No time to second-guess yourself. Or let that fear settle in.
    Vulture, 22 May 2023
  • This could force hackers to second-guess their allies, and the anonymity of the dark web would become a threat.
    Can Yildizli, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Southers second-guessed some aspects of the initiative in a 2017 Times op-ed.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
  • One warned Ziani not to second-guess a professor of Gino’s stature in this way.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
  • Of course there will be second-guessing after any loss.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024
  • Scott wasn’t a man prone to second-guessing himself, but those doubts wouldn’t relent.
    Chris Nashawaty, WIRED, 30 July 2024
  • Mercury in Aries leaves no room for second-guessing, so trust your gut and speak your mind — this is the perfect time to make an impact.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • By now, the bowhunter was discouraged and second-guessing his decision to end the season there, holed up in a blind.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Their expertise can save you the time and headache of second-guessing a large purchase — or steer you away from an ill-fitting piece from the start.
    Ryan Conner, Dallas News, 11 May 2023
  • Thomas Webster at the Jan. 6 Rally Inevitably, some of the outcomes were ripe for second-guessing.
    Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 6 Feb. 2025
  • At this stage, knob twiddling and second-guessing often sets in.
    Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024
  • But the government argued that judges shouldn’t second-guess agents doing their jobs.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Jones has since second-guessed their plan of going into the season with two rookie starters on the offensive line.
    Jon MacHota, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Rocky spends much of the film brooding, moping, second-guessing himself.
    Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2023
  • In practical terms, scrapping Chevron would transfer that power not to Congress or the people, but to the courts that second-guess them.
    Matt Ford, The New Republic, 1 June 2023
  • The guilt or second-guessing that follows is your subconscious telling you there’s more beneath the surface.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The administration also argued that the lower court judges were wrong to second-guess the FDA’s judgment about the safety of a drug that has been used for decades.
    David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2023
  • Biden finished his one term in the White House with low approval ratings and facing second-guessing from fellow Democrats.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Toward the end of the journey, my second-guessing snowballed into a crisis of conscience.
    Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2024
  • What was just second nature for you before, now you’re second-guessing.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023
  • Don’t: Wait too long for the perfect moment or second-guess yourself into silence.
    Lorraine K. Lee, Contributor, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Without trust, the board is more likely to second-guess leadership and slow down momentum.
    Rachel Durose, Harvard Business Review, 28 May 2025
  • This may cause one partner to become the emotional fixer and the other to feel watched, second-guessed or subtly managed.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The following day, Mars will station retrograde in Leo, which could cause you to second-guess some of your most recent choices.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024
  • In an interview last May, Beed’s civil surgeon at the time, Suresh Sable, said the government should not second-guess doctors.
    Qadri Inzamam Saumya Khandelwal, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Don’t second-guess yourself; trust and believe in your abilities.
    Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024
  • The Trump administration had argued that the Martin case be tossed out because officers exercising discretion in the course of their duties should not face the threat of lawsuits and second-guessed by courts.
    Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 12 June 2025
  • Federal courts dismissed the family's lawsuit for compensation over the mistake by ruling courts shouldn't second-guess law enforcement officers.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second-guess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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