as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
after much soul-searching, they both realized that their marriage was essentially over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of soul-searching
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
As Polly excavates the darkest parts of herself, the film can’t string together a build to match the depths of her soul-searching.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
Thus begins a long night of soul-searching and much, much worse for Polly, who turns to various people for help, including her mother (Mary McCormack), her older sister (Rachel Blanchard) and her neighbor (Klea Scott).
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soul-searching
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The film is a more quiet, wintry contemplation and tortured soul-searching.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
As Polly excavates the darkest parts of herself, the film can’t string together a build to match the depths of her soul-searching.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
Thus begins a long night of soul-searching and much, much worse for Polly, who turns to various people for help, including her mother (Mary McCormack), her older sister (Rachel Blanchard) and her neighbor (Klea Scott).
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soul-searching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soul-searching
- introspection
- self-examination
- self-reflection
- self-searching
- self-questioning
- self-scrutiny
- contemplation
Noun
-
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
-
Even then, there’s still room for some introspection on the record.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
This disciplined self-examination is the foundation for refining skills and advancing toward mastery.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Both zeroed in on age-old scales and harmonies, extracted them from their usual contexts, and transformed them into objects of contemplation.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Still, this isn’t about contemplation or quiet reflection.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soul-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soul-searching. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share