as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
so consumed with self-questioning that he was virtually paralyzed by self-doubt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in self-reflective
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-questioning
Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
But users can instruct it to be tentative, hesitant, self-questioning or even deliberately clumsy.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
With this news came a several-minute period of self-questioning.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
But users can instruct it to be tentative, hesitant, self-questioning or even deliberately clumsy.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-questioning
- introspection
- self-reflective
- soul-searching
- diffident
- self-reflection
- self-flagellating
- self-examination
- self-observation
Noun
-
Those struggles also led to introspection by everyone involved.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Disco, Occasionally, and eclectic project that goes heavy on the disco ball introspection.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Young adults in the early earbuds age used her songs as fuel for runs, laptop work, Tinder hookups, and the solitary, self-reflective mornings after.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Key to this is learning how to be self-reflective and honest with yourself.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After some soul-searching, Ricciardo began to figure out what that word meant in his life.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Throughout these years, Ma began to feel an increasing sense of remorse at his complicity in this system, which sparked deeper soul-searching around his identity as a Muslim, and what that meant within Chinese society.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This small, diffident moment is one more reason to mourn his death.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
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In the new film Hot Milk, the sensual but diffident 20-something Sofia (Emma Mackey) travels with her invalid mother, Rose (Fiona Shaw), to the Mediterranean shores of Spain in search of an experimental cure for the latter’s (possibly hypochondriac) illness.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Islamabad is not yet willing to indulge in a bit of self-reflection.—
Mihir Sharma,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The album’s volley of astute re-creations of this idea sometimes gets in the way of Styles’s attempt to relay sadness or dour self-reflection.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Yet her songs remain disarmingly human, meditating on desire, vulnerability, and self-examination.—
Marcus J. Moore,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This 2-1 defeat is a blow and should prove a moment for self-examination for the club’s coaching staff and playing squad.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The purpose of this exercise is not to match your paradigm perfectly but to give you a thematic lens for self-observation.—
Liz Tran,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
There are three invitations leaders can offer their direct reports: Play with the technology as a tool for self-observation.—
Michael Hudson,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-questioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-questioning. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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