as in defendant
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 suspect
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Chronister said the suspect showed no emotion when investigators presented him with details of the killings.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The medical team suspects the medication isn't working.
—Will Stone, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Noun
When Fiona disappears, local oddball Jerry (David Wilmot) is the chief suspect.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Chronister said the suspect showed no emotion when investigators presented him with details of the killings.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Verb
But some suspect that earlier, simpler life-forms that predate even this common ancestor may have run on a leaner chemistry.
—Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The medical team suspects the medication isn't working.
—Will Stone, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspect
Noun
-
Four other people, including the defendant's cousin Ronald Crawley, were charged with helping kidnap Arnett.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Investigators had 1,000 pages of messages between Campbell and Gerodemos and other co-defendants.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
However, plenty of people show no signs at all, which is why blood testing matters more than guessing.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the outside world had started to doubt her once again.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
-
GameStop wants to slash eBay marketing budget Morgan Stanley similarly doubted the potential cost savings.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s an old, contentious and questionable standard for a discrimination complaint.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
But Tatum was downgraded to questionable Saturday afternoon, then ruled out less than two hours before tipoff.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Why Grass Might Be Growing Slowly Even though slow turf growth lawns is often attributed to lawn disease or incorrect fertilizer, Tony Burris, Lawn Services Supervisor at Killingsworth Environmental, says the the biggest culprits are soil conditions and environmental conditions.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
2 May 2026
-
State economists have pointed to new entrants to the job market needing more time to find work, as opposed to people losing their jobs as one of the culprits behind the rise in the jobless rate.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
California’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 assumes a steep drop in driving.—
Aaron Cantú,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Many programs rely on standardized intervention lists, assuming similar outcomes across suppliers when every facility operates under its own set of constraints, meaning what succeeds in one place could prove a bust in another.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every mistake is magnified, every penalty is questioned, every shortcoming is analyzed.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
In that clip, Cohen, 57, questioned whether the CMO role is typically short-term.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Charmed at first, Nella soon becomes confused and suspicious of her alleged ally as their approaches to racial bias and diversity begin to sharply diverge and the story, told through a past and present timeline, unravels with unexpected twists.—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Los Angeles police evacuated Terminal 2 at LAX on Friday night amid an investigation into a suspicious item.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspect. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
