as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims
a naturally questioning person, she demands rock-solid proof before she believes anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in inquiry
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in challenging
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
the teenager openly questioned the authority of the town's police force to impose a curfew on residents under the age of 18
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to
question your motives before you file the lawsuit: do you really care about the trees, or are you just trying to harass the neighbors?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in doubting
to have no trust or confidence in
it was apparent that voters were questioning the President's ability to manage the economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in asking
to put a question or questions to
the press should be allowed to question public officials about any matter of general interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in interrogating
to put a series of questions to
the police questioned the suspect before deciding that there was insufficient evidence to hold him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of questioning
ABC News, 11 June 2026
Most of the questioning from Democrats focused on staffing levels at the agency, which saw thousands of workers axed as part of the Department of Government Efficiency‘s efforts to downsize the federal government.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
ABC News, 15 June 2026
Link’n Lights began by questioning how those lights might work differently.
—William Jones, USA Today, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Noun
The two men allegedly confessed during the initial questioning but pleaded not guilty when the trial began in 2016.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
Most of the questioning from Democrats focused on staffing levels at the agency, which saw thousands of workers axed as part of the Department of Government Efficiency‘s efforts to downsize the federal government.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
Verb
The plan was met with mixed reaction, with some praising Starmer for taking action and others questioning the effectiveness of a blanket ban.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Link’n Lights began by questioning how those lights might work differently.
—William Jones, USA Today, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questioning
Adjective
-
Audiences are skeptical of celebrity.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
McGarry, while supportive of the county's initial steps, remains skeptical that the ordinance goes far enough to protect the most vulnerable residents.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
According to the Air Force, the Interim Safety Board assigned to investigate the crash is tasked with collecting as much information as possible and then handing it over to a Safety Investigation Board, composed of experts, that will complete the inquiry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
The company, which aired the UFC event live in theaters, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from USA TODAY.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The Yankees are coming dangerously close to challenging the franchise's longest period between titles -- an 18-year drought that was snapped in 1996.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
However, mimicking neuromodulation in conventional neuromorphic hardware is challenging, typically requiring dramatically more complex designs.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Any larger Hollywood studio would have likely insisted on a grander finale, but The Death of Robin Hood, produced by A24, left me pondering the foolishness of my need for such a denouement.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
-
That’s in addition to problems like data drift, bias in training data, black swan events, and other things that the panelists touched on in pondering the challenges of instituting these systems in a highly regulated industry.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
On Tuesday, as Argentina began defense of its World Cup championship, the doubters are no longer doubting.—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
17 June 2026
-
Because of that, investors are perhaps doubting this attempt as well.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Birding has gone fully mainstream in 2026, and millions of new converts are asking the same beginner questions.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
County staff, led by planning director Todd Smith, gave an extensive presentation during Tuesday’s meeting with supervisors periodically asking questions.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The same instinct to accumulate without interrogating shows up everywhere.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Afterward, he was forced into a truck, where agents continued interrogating him after finding contacts linked to Argentine judicial agencies on his cellphone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reynoso said suspicious bank activity and withdrawals were made to their accounts.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Be highly suspicious of content that offers simple, absolute solutions to complex medical conditions.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Questioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questioning. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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