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

Yet as Laudlin’s task force closes in on a key suspect, its efforts are undermined by the very German institutions meant to support them. — John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

According to Dateline, medical examiners attributed Karen’s cause of death to a skull fracture, and local authorities had one suspect in mind — her husband. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

Verb

Although the grounds were excavated and the bodies removed before the church’s construction, investigators suspect remains uncovered Thursday may have been left behind. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026

O’Brien said investigators suspected Rinderknecht made recordings of several attempts to reach 911 in order to create an alibi. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026