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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of questioning
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
She was not injured and was taken in for questioning.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump made the threat via social media on Tuesday, denouncing al Maliki’s previous performance as prime minister and questioning his ideological alignment.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Noun
After convincing Ariana to go to the police and report the assault, Cooper was pulled in for questioning.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
She was not injured and was taken in for questioning.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
For Hackett, her own version of the challenge has meant broadening the scope of her job search to apply for as many jobs as possible, within reason, without holding herself back by questioning her own skillset or background.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump made the threat via social media on Tuesday, denouncing al Maliki’s previous performance as prime minister and questioning his ideological alignment.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questioning
Adjective
-
What experts think is possible Michael Pachter, a managing director of equity research at wealth management firm Wedbush Securities, is highly skeptical of Cohen’s ability to fulfill the acquisition.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Housing analyst Jonathan Miller, who is skeptical of the proposal, says that landlords will likely try to raise market-rate rents to help cover at least some of that rise in costs.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, the instruction was deeply committed to the idea that women could and should be full participants in scientific inquiry.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Swiss Federal Supreme Court referred her case back to CAS, with new audio-visual evidence that could prove the inquiry was filed within the required timeframe.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The case over access to the legal system was one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the immigration detention center.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Rams will be at home pondering what might have been.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
That was the question that Golden Rain Foundation directors asked in August while pondering ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.—
Anita Gosch,
Oc Register,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To fool us into doubting our most obvious conclusions about how this story will unfold.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Even Harper’s closest deputies — Pierpoint alum Sweetpea and Kwabena, a season-four newcomer played by Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh — have moved beyond quietly doubting her strategy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This lets users keep their main work open while asking Gemini to summarize content, compare products, or organize information from multiple sites at the same time.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In 2013, David Kidd and Emanuele Castano shifted the research goal posts by asking if reading literary fiction (as opposed to non-fiction, popular fiction, or no reading) correlated with higher scores on what’s known as theory of mind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Obsessed with this Russian Jewish queen interrogating Robby about his single status.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Jones was especially struck by reports of ICE detaining and interrogating children on their way to and from school.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If a homeowner finds a suspicious device, the department said not to touch it and call law enforcement.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Joining George in his fight to stop the slasher are a particularly suspicious student (Ian Sera) and a famous tennis pro (Lynda Day George) who, bored with the celebrity touring circuit, decides to join up as an undercover detective.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Questioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questioning. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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