SECOND-GUESSED Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

second-guessed

verb

past tense of second-guess

as in outmaneuvered

Related Words

Relevance

as in speculated (about)

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guessed

Verb

Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ coach who doubles as McVay’s friend, mentor and nemesis, outmaneuvered McVay again.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
For more than a decade, India’s leader Narendra Modi has seemed politically unassailable, presiding over a government that has outmaneuvered opponents, dominated public discourse and squeezed the space for dissent in the world’s biggest democracy.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of outmaneuvered

Verb

This line of defense didn’t persuade Sweeney, who reasoned that adding athletes with expired eligibility would mean more, not less, market competition.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
From there, Saucedo reasoned Ruth right out of existence, consigning him to the same category as Bigfoot, a figment of the collective unconscious.

— Rich Cohen, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of reasoned

Verb

When a Pomona business owner balked at paying for protection, Argumedo showed up with a gun and loaded the business’ property into a U-Haul truck, prosecutors wrote in a complaint filed earlier this year.

— Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
The powers that be balked at the sequel’s 48 percent drop from the first installment’s $125 million worldwide gross, which outperformed any and all expectations back in 2017.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of balked

Verb

Out of the 38 videos analyzed, only one video mentioned irritation risk, two addressed sun protection and none mentioned contact dermatitis risk or advised consulting a dermatologist, according to the study.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Out of over 3 million digital storefronts that were analyzed, only 36 percent were technically set to support the entire journey of agentic commerce from discovery to payment.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of analyzed

Verb

To say that Cucurella was pleased, when the Spanish side outwitted the French in the semifinal, would be an understatement.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
For Deschamps and Stephan, there was no shortage of blame after Spain’s Luis de la Fuente outwitted the French coaching staff for the third time, following wins at the 2024 European Championship and last year’s Nations League semi-final.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of outwitted

Verb

The council hasn’t yet reviewed the agreement in full and will receive copies on Tuesday.

— Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
In another email later Wednesday afternoon, Lee said ABC News’ editors had reviewed the language and were standing by the piece.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of reviewed

Verb

But this will be forever known as a day when football’s smartest organization got outsmarted, when football’s best coach fumbled and when the San Francisco 49ers turned football’s giants into so much shrimp on the barbie.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
After being humiliated and outsmarted when Julia escaped his grasp with Henry’s help in the season one finale, Lovat is presumably more dangerous than ever — and Henry will need to find a way back to save her once again.

— Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of outsmarted

Verb

Sales were slightly below expectations, but the stock jumped 3% as traders concluded the demand for AI services remained strong.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
The other two judges, Kelly and Tymkovich, concluded the NCAA made a sufficient showing under the factors governing stays pending appeal, including on the merits and irreparable harm.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of concluded

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.

Browse Nearby Words

second-guess

second-guessed

second-guesses

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Second-guessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guessed. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of second-guessed

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

outlandish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes