as in soul-searching
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
the author seems to use poetry as a medium for her restless self-searching
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Recent Examples of self-searching
While there’s still some of the angst and self-searching of Girls, Too Much is classic odd-couple romcom.
—
James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2025
But such athletic excess is part of what makes this album admirable, as is a sense of spiritual and intellectual hunger that’ll be quickly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Ziggy Stardust/Zen Arcade/Tommy school of self-searching rock epic.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
One of many things the culture lost with Lennon’s death was his rare example as a burgeoning and often self-searching male feminist, serving as a role model for men looking to take account of their behavior.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2025
But such athletic excess is part of what makes this album admirable, as is a sense of spiritual and intellectual hunger that’ll be quickly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Ziggy Stardust/Zen Arcade/Tommy school of self-searching rock epic.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
One of many things the culture lost with Lennon’s death was his rare example as a burgeoning and often self-searching male feminist, serving as a role model for men looking to take account of their behavior.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-searching
- soul-searching
- introspection
- self-examination
- self-reflection
- self-observation
- self-questioning
- self-scrutiny
- contemplation
Noun
-
Denver has been able to maintain that opening-weekend excitement and are just out of the playoff picture, while Boston has some soul-searching to do.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
My advice is to do this soul-searching first, then dive into as much relevant data as possible.—
Angelo Chavez,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
As a ritual romanticized for generations as one of the most significant events of a person’s life, the modern wedding tends to provoke a nebulous kind of introspection separating it from its most notable counterparts.—
Bobby Finger
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
This brand of builder has a high tolerance for risk and isn’t afraid to list having empathy or self-introspection as vulnerabilities.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
His early, anonymous SoundCloud drops were hushed and hesitant, a shroud of tape hiss and white noise between himself and true self-examination.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
-
Macy’s was notorious in its industry for how siloed its teams and culture were, characteristics that impeded prior turnaround efforts until Spring, CEO since 2024, instilled a culture of self-examination and an ability to admit mistakes before quickly moving on.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Miraval has long encouraged guests to limit or even forego their use of digital devices as a way of enhancing awareness of one’s surroundings and allowing moments for self-reflection and personal growth.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
-
Opportunities for self-reflection abound across the summer calendar.—
Kayla Samoy,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 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
Noun
-
This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
After long periods of grief, reflection and painful self-questioning, most of the families interviewed by The Charlotte Observer no longer seem interested in reducing their children’s deaths to any one thing.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
That may be too much heightened self-scrutiny.—
Bryan Price,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In a foundational study, it was found that companies professing a strong belief in meritocracy were more likely to reward men over equally performing women because the belief in objectivity ironically reduces self-scrutiny in decisions, giving managers subconscious permission to act on stereotypes.—
Heather Price,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Its challenges require active engagement, not passive contemplation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
Sterman, after much contemplation, decided to use natives but didn’t develop a detailed plan.—
Nicole Sours Larson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-searching. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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