1
as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims
she was distrustful of her boyfriend's claim of having saved the kitten from a raging fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something
naturally distrustful of politicians who claim to have all the answers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distrustful
Border czar Tom Homan says more than a thousand federal agents have already left Minnesota, though many community members remain distrustful and fearful.
—
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
The man lusting for power is always active, the center of the show, relentless, vigilant, distrustful, restless when anything stands in his way.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Without this foundation, future clinicians will struggle to explain changing recommendations to patients who are already confused and distrustful.
—Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 12 Jan. 2026
Markel became increasingly distrustful of Donna Adelson due to her desire to move the children away from him, even filing a motion to prevent her from having unsupervised visits with the children in 2014.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Wcco Staff, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
The man lusting for power is always active, the center of the show, relentless, vigilant, distrustful, restless when anything stands in his way.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Without this foundation, future clinicians will struggle to explain changing recommendations to patients who are already confused and distrustful.
—Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 12 Jan. 2026
Markel became increasingly distrustful of Donna Adelson due to her desire to move the children away from him, even filing a motion to prevent her from having unsupervised visits with the children in 2014.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrustful
Adjective
-
Travelers should be cautiously skeptical Ignoring professional advice isn't necessarily a bad trend.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Others are purely skeptical and believe a dialogue could backfire.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
When workers are unsure whether the technology is meant to augment them or replace them, adoption slows, experimentation stops, and the conditions under which AI actually returns value disappear.—
Julie Averill,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The vets also took X-rays, but since wood is hard to see on an X-ray, the professionals were still unsure how far the stick had impaled Sweets.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Anyone who suspects their card was skimmed should contact their bank immediately, freeze or replace the card, monitor transactions, and report the suspicious pump to the station, police, and the FBI’s IC3.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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But guidelines seek to balance the benefits of catching cancer early with possible harms, such as stress and pain from investigating suspicious spots that don't turn out to be cancerous.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hulse felt both hopeful and uncertain.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.—
Joy Lepola-Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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In a groove Phil Maton is cautious to ever declare that his delivery has fully come together.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Beneath the measured pace of transactions — collectors more cautious, galleries recalibrating, auction houses tempering expectations — the intellectual and aesthetic stakes of contemporary art feel newly urgent.—
Andrew S. Jacobson,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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In the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul strains to show that the Gentile mission and the Jerusalem mission, though carried out by mutually mistrustful parties, belong to a single divine design.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
People are mistrustful of government at all levels right now, according to Larson.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The tunnel was built after careful planning and executed with tremendous effort.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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