Synonyms of suspect

suspect 1 of 3

noun

as in defendant

Related Words

• defendant
• culprit
• offender
• arrestee
• fish
• criminal
• detainee
• accused
• accomplice
• lawbreaker
• principal
• misdemeanant
• miscreant
• crook
• malefactor
• outlaw
• perpetrator
• convict
• perp
• desperado
• villain
• jailbird
• trespasser
• wrongdoer
• sinner
• thug
• transgressor
• gangster
• hoodlum
• mobster
• hooligan
• racketeer
• misdoer
• gallows bird
• misfeasor
• button man
• evildoer
• blackhander

Dissimilar Words

• lawman
• gangbuster

suspect

2 of 3

verb

sə-ˈspekt 

1

as in to guess

to form an opinion from little or no evidence

we suspected that the runaway was a little younger than the 16 she claimed to be—more like 13

Synonyms & Similar Words

• guess
• assume
• suppose
• think
• presume
• imagine
• speculate
• suspicion
• surmise
• believe
• daresay
• conjecture
• infer
• conclude
• expect
• deduce
• hypothesize
• gather
• theorize
• reckon
• judge
• conceive
• hypothecate
• take

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prove
• establish
• demonstrate
• determine
• learn
• ascertain
• document
• validate
• find out
• substantiate

2

as in to doubt

to have no trust or confidence in

I suspected him from the moment he said he was an old friend of my sister's, since I probably would have heard about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• doubt
• question
• distrust
• mistrust
• misdoubt
• disbelieve
• discredit
• discount
• negate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trust
• depend (on or upon)
• rely (on or upon)
• count (on or upon)
• bank (on or upon)

suspect

3 of 3

adjective

ˈsə-ˌspekt 

as in questionable

giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged

since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect

Synonyms & Similar Words

• questionable
• suspicious
• dubious
• disputable
• doubtful
• problematic
• debatable
• alleged
• fishy
• unclear
• ambiguous
• shaky
• queer
• equivocal
• unlikely
• shady
• doubtable
• dodgy
• dubitable
• supposed
• uncertain
• weak
• moot
• undetermined
• improbable
• undecided
• so-called
• flimsy
• open
• far-fetched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sure
• certain
• indisputable
• undeniable
• undoubted
• unquestionable
• incontestable
• unproblematic
• indubitable
• definitive
• obvious
• decisive
• questionless
• clear
• positive
• hands-down
• open-and-shut

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suspect

Noun

Police recovered a shotgun and two handguns – including the weapon taken from one of the officers – from the suspect, and the man was taken into custody. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

According to the victim, one suspect pointed a silver handgun at him while the second suspect brandished a knife. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

Joseph Sullivan told Fox News Digital the work is exposing abuse that residents may never suspect is happening around them. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

The document also describes violence against individuals suspected of interfering with drug trafficking operations. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026