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
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Recent Examples of questioning
Pico Iyer, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Thus comes a tense game of trust and mistrust that has every single person on the base questioning who is real.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Riley Beggin, Washington Post, 12 May 2026
The 23 survivors were handed over to marine authorities for questioning.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Noun
Four years ago, a longtime admirer of Morris’s, Paul Clements, produced a workman-like survey of the travel writer’s life and oeuvre; now Wheeler comes forth with a much deeper and more questioning look at an author who could seem at home everywhere, yet remain a stranger in her own household.
—Pico Iyer, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Thus comes a tense game of trust and mistrust that has every single person on the base questioning who is real.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Verb
The White House is increasing the pressure on skeptical Republicans who are questioning the $1 billion price tag for security funding related to the president’s ballroom renovation project.
—Riley Beggin, Washington Post, 12 May 2026
The 23 survivors were handed over to marine authorities for questioning.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questioning
Adjective
-
Everything everywhere all at once However, some analysts are skeptical about the ability of hyperscalers to maintain the current phenomenal capex figures into the future.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
-
The women suffered the indignity of multiple interviews, intimate evidence gathering and skeptical lines of questioning from the police, among other things.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The state police, already examining alleged irregularities in city tax collections during Stewart’s administration, expanded the inquiry to include credit card use and the FBI also has opened an investigation, law enforcement sources said Thursday.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
And Szabo hired prominent Charlotte criminal defense attorney Tin to represent her in an inquiry by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), there is no residency requirement to file a lawsuit challenging a project’s environmental review.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Lander, who’s got the backing of Mayor Mamdani, is challenging Goldman from the left.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
EBay’s board is now pondering GameStop’s offer.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
The sequence left us pondering our pet cats and, for good measure, our worst selves.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
And if anyone thinks goalie Jakub Dobeš might suddenly be doubting himself after allowing four goals in Game 1, think again.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
And the experience of the year of negotiations has left many disillusioned, with some 70% doubting that peace talks will lead to a lasting solution.—
Lena Surzhko Harned,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Denver City Council is asking similar questions.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Then, last year, at a July meeting of the district’s school board, Junez and a handful of other students came before district leadership, once again asking them to institute a boys volleyball team.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Goldman advises hyperscalers, underwrites chip company offerings, and sits at the table with the companies building the very infrastructure Covello was interrogating.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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But those comparisons won’t do The White Lotus any favors, since Beef is more effective than that series’ second and third seasons in interrogating how exclusive locations sharpen class differences.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
At the same time, police also noted suspicious behavior from McDermitt — including him mourning Fox's death on Facebook.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
Agents were suspicious that Cruz would not have had enough time to reach the Lukeville Port of Entry to pick up passengers.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Questioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questioning. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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