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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of self-searching
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
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
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As for you … Superlatives Quick Snaps 🐯 Clemson’s bye week means time for some soul-searching at 3-4.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It was thought that the simple last scene of Tom readying Ethan’s bedroom and giving the always subtly expressive Ruffalo a moment of quiet introspection would do the trick.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
23 Oct. 2025
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Even then, there’s still room for some introspection on the record.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mother’s turbulent self-examination is incited by the revelation of Sister Agnieszka’s pregnancy in the film’s first Act.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
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This disciplined self-examination is the foundation for refining skills and advancing toward mastery.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With words infallibly falling short, Pritam mingled realism with a fragmentary style of narration that meshes together social encounters, violent episodes, vivid metaphors, disturbing dreams, memories, intimate self-reflections, and introspection on society.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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The book’s journey through the brain ends at the frontal pole, a region involved in self-reflection — thinking about thinking.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes,
7 Oct. 2024
Noun
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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
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That may be too much heightened self-scrutiny.—
Bryan Price,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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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
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Still, this isn’t about contemplation or quiet reflection.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Among them, not least, is the modest, egoless ideal of democratic tradition captured so perfectly in such American monuments as the Lincoln Memorial, which shows not a hero but a man, seated, in grave contemplation.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-searching. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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