as in defendant
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspect
Larry Seward, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Police did not release any other information about the suspect.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Police spokesman Don Aaron told USA Today that no foul play is suspected in the incident, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine McWilliams' cause and manner of death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Noun
Officers arrested a suspect, identified as Osvaldo Diaz, on Collins Avenue.
—Larry Seward, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Police did not release any other information about the suspect.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Verb
Already suspected during previous tragedies, the family becomes the target of rumor.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Police spokesman Don Aaron told USA Today that no foul play is suspected in the incident, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine McWilliams' cause and manner of death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspect
Noun
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That’s true even though those colleges’ membership organization, the NCAA, is the defendant and is trying to enforce rules accepted by member schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 May 2026
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Wired ran a story about the butt pillows used by OpenAI’s phalanx of lawyers and executives, including the president and co-defendant, Greg Brockman, to insulate themselves from the discomfort of the court’s benches.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Verb
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There, scientists guess that lower temperatures are causing carbon dioxide to freeze out of the atmosphere, with the CO2 falling as dry-ice snow and pulling dust down with it.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
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Redistricting shouldn’t leave people guessing, residents deserve clarity, access, and confidence in who represents them and how to engage with county government.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Former National Security Adviser John Bolton doubts that Raúl Castro had any interest in making a deal that would satisfy the desire for democracy in Cuba.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
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But some doubt that the nonagenarian Castro, who turns 95 in June, will ever be brought to justice in the United States.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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This injury seemed less serious, with the Knicks listing Anunoby as questionable to play in both Games 3 and 4 before he was ruled out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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With Díaz’s face bleeding profusely, Perry took advantage of Díaz’s questionable physical condition.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The biggest culprit was base running as the Red Sox ran into too many outs, wasting crucial opportunities.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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Also, the two opposing narratives were mirror images of each other in volume and posting cadence, suggesting that the same culprit may have been amplifying both sides of the fight.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Scott, the attorney, also said Thursday that Williamson assumed, based on her conversations with McCluskie, that McCluskie had spoken to Becerra about the concept of the money transfer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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Recommended Stories That’s assuming there’s actually enough of it accessible on the moon to be profitably extracted.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Residents at a homeowner association meeting in April questioned how an Iron Mountain data center crept into their backyard unnoticed.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
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Americans are seriously questioning his handling of key issues, such as inflation, immigration, jobs and foreign affairs.—
Tatishe Nteta,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Anyone who suspects their card was skimmed should contact their bank immediately, freeze or replace the card, monitor transactions, and report the suspicious pump to the station, police, and the FBI’s IC3.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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But guidelines seek to balance the benefits of catching cancer early with possible harms, such as stress and pain from investigating suspicious spots that don't turn out to be cancerous.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspect. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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