as in examining
to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)
the project's time constraints make it impossible for the programmers to scrutinize every line of code, so some bugs should be expected
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Recent Examples of scrutinizing
That’s when Danielle went into full detective mode, scrutinizing everything that touched her skin—lotions, serums, hair products, even the family’s laundry detergent.
—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 9 Oct. 2025
The White House is scrutinizing ways to keep federal workers who were furloughed during the government shutdown from receiving back pay.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
Historically, efforts to find a singular cause for autism has led to scrutinizing parents and fueling stigma about autism, Lappé added.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
The case has gone viral online, with many users scrutinizing Burke’s song lyrics.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Looking at Via Lactea (the Milky Way's Latin name) with a telescope — except to view certain highlights — is akin to closely scrutinizing a painting with a magnifying glass, which only reveals the coarse canvas, and not the actual art itself.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The industry needs to be held responsible for scrutinizing entire supply chains and making modifications to reduce harm, Petrie says.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
Codifying and scrutinizing what in the past was either let go or ruled on from the margins by officials is, in many ways, admirable.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Instead of further scrutinizing the FBI director, though, Republicans are more likely to back him.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 9 Oct. 2025
The White House is scrutinizing ways to keep federal workers who were furloughed during the government shutdown from receiving back pay.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025
Historically, efforts to find a singular cause for autism has led to scrutinizing parents and fueling stigma about autism, Lappé added.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
The case has gone viral online, with many users scrutinizing Burke’s song lyrics.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Looking at Via Lactea (the Milky Way's Latin name) with a telescope — except to view certain highlights — is akin to closely scrutinizing a painting with a magnifying glass, which only reveals the coarse canvas, and not the actual art itself.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The industry needs to be held responsible for scrutinizing entire supply chains and making modifications to reduce harm, Petrie says.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
Codifying and scrutinizing what in the past was either let go or ruled on from the margins by officials is, in many ways, admirable.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Instead of further scrutinizing the FBI director, though, Republicans are more likely to back him.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrutinizing
Verb
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Pritzker suggested that the Illinois Attorney General and local state’s attorneys may be examining allegations of misconduct and wrongdoing within DHS.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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Several films offer immediate responses to critical current events, while others take time to reflect, examining the social realities and challenges shaping people’s lives today.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Reed Partridge, the government’s legislative auditor and the former interim ethics administrator, confirmed that the ethics commission was reviewing the claim, as well as a separate claim involving whether Lopez made lewd gestures during a public meeting.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Oct. 2025
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Mayor John McCann said the city took extra precautions in reviewing the proposal, noting lessons learned from older battery facilities that experienced fires in Otay Mesa and Escondido.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On a sunny September afternoon, Pérez peered down the street outside her children’s school, scanning for suspicious vehicles.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Operating quick game requires a quarterback capable of scanning quickly and decisively pulling the trigger.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pew put together this study by surveying a nationally representative sample of 3,054 parents with 12-and-under kids from May 13 to 26.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
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This includes everything from surveying and certifying nursing homes to assisting Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries and overseeing contracts or extra payments to rural ambulance providers.—
Simon F. Haeder,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The agency also offered the first public glimpse inside the vessel, showing Kim inspecting crew quarters, the bridge and the combat command center, which is equipped with multifunction consoles.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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According to a Facebook post from the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office, the man became stuck inside the grain bin while inspecting the auger of the grain bin's interior.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrutinizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrutinizing. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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