as in skepticism
refusal to accept something as true
their story explaining their absence was met with frank disbelief
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disbelief
Kraft was among the many people who expressed disbelief last week when the news surfaced that Belichick, who coached the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories and nine appearances in the NFL’s championship game, would not be entering the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
—
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
From shocking district alignments to puzzling travel debacles, many coaches were left shaking their heads in disbelief.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
When Lillie Salas saw the Illini Republicans’ post, her emotions fluctuated from disbelief to outrage.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
As far back as December, a reader emailed me in disbelief at the hundreds of people who packed into an ICE observation training at a church in Uptown — trainings that are now common.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disbelief
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
From shocking district alignments to puzzling travel debacles, many coaches were left shaking their heads in disbelief.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
When Lillie Salas saw the Illini Republicans’ post, her emotions fluctuated from disbelief to outrage.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
As far back as December, a reader emailed me in disbelief at the hundreds of people who packed into an ICE observation training at a church in Uptown — trainings that are now common.
—Eric Roper, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disbelief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disbelief
Noun
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Such theories were met with some skepticism by trade researchers at the time, and not all of the predictions have come true.—
Josh Ederington,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
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Marijane Leonard, a parent of a ninth grader at TIDE Academy, expressed skepticism over the transition to Woodside High School.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For now, those doubts have done little to dent her standing.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Technical doubts and stealth concerns Skepticism around the SM-39 centers on physics as much as design.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On January 21st, an ICE vehicle pulled into the loading dock of the high school; in a video of the incident, taken from a classroom window, students can be overheard in a hubbub of jeering, incredulity, and fear.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
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Speaking to The Athletic at a yacht racing conference in Amsterdam in November, Bruno Dubois voiced his incredulity at the sums being spent by top teams on securing the best talent.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks on Shiite worshippers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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In a June 2025 memo to Health Care Agency Director Veronica Kelley, Sabet noted that county staff failed to report its suspicions of abuse by 360 Clinic to the compliance office and fell short in overseeing the county’s $5 million contract with the vendor.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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But the indirect benefits seem to reflect a posture against green energy, related to unbelief in climate change, and these lead to support for inefficient energy alternatives like nuclear and geothermal and gas-fired turbines.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disbelief. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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