1
as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
we suspected that the runaway was a little younger than the 16 she claimed to be—more like 13
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in
I suspected him from the moment he said he was an old friend of my sister's, since I probably would have heard about him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in defendant
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of suspect
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Through an investigation, Tran was identified as a suspect and a warrant for his arrest was issued, deputies said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
People suspected Beauregard Farms’ big cattle operation outside Stone River.
—Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Verb
New Zealand Police later named Phillips as the suspect, and said he was aided by a female accomplice.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Through an investigation, Tran was identified as a suspect and a warrant for his arrest was issued, deputies said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Offensively great, defensively suspect A common theme across most teams that excelled from offensive corners was to use a player to restrict the goalkeeper’s movement within the six-yard box.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
People suspected Beauregard Farms’ big cattle operation outside Stone River.
—Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspect
Verb
-
More and more people keep telling me to watch Foundation so guess what?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Only one-quarter correctly guessed the average annual benefit, which falls between $20,000 and $30,000.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
When combined, these missteps compound risk, exposing systemic disorganization that makes investors doubt the team’s ability to scale.—
Kirill Gurskiy,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Kirk faces a crisis of conscience and doubts his leadership skills when Spock intervenes and slowly guides him back to baseline where his command skills begin to be forged under fire.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Dolphins have versatility among their backups, but the quality of their backups remains questionable.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Reject questionable practices and products, and resist modern marketing, which has a short lifespan.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, two other appeals courts have issued rulings that restrict use of the federal ban: both courts ruled there should be individualized assessments of defendants' drug use to determine if their rights could be restricted.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The four other defendants include Iwamasa and Fleming, as well as doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Armadillos are often assumed to be a critter of the wild west, but they can actually be found in several places across the United States, including Indiana.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Probably safe to assume Leto’s DAMAGED take on the Joker won’t be reappearing in the DCU.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Others questioned if school leaders had the expertise needed to support a complicated, high-need group of students.—
Rachel Wegner,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Sophia begins to question the darker sides of her husband and life, including the locked basement she’s not allowed to enter and the neighbors that won’t look her in the eye.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The body of a missing 15-year-old boy was discovered this week at a Detroit cemetery under suspicious circumstances.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
In its statement, Warren police said officers encountered Gibson after a 911 call reporting his suspicious behavior.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
On the goods side, higher food prices were the biggest culprit behind a 0.7% monthly increase.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Foot traffic at Target fell year over year for the sixth consecutive month in July, and while the slump began the week after the retailer backtracked on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, some analysts say the real culprit is that Target is slipping on retail basics.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspect. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share