suspected 1 of 2

suspected

2 of 2

verb

past tense of suspect
1
2
as in doubted
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

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 suspected
Adjective
The explosion targeting Ranucci occurred on the eighth anniversary of the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles. CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 In Thembisa, a suburb of Johannesburg, rioters reportedly threw stones at police and suspected migrants, with witnesses saying sporadic gunfire was heard. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 During the voyage, according to the DOJ, crew members discovered numerous packages hidden inside the ship’s garbage room that contained suspected narcotics. City News Service, Daily News, 23 May 2026 The case has become one of the most emblematic examples cited by rights organizations accusing Venezuela’s security apparatus of using arbitrary detention, incommunicado imprisonment and forced disappearances against dissidents and suspected opponents. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026 Six cases have been confirmed as Andes strain hantavirus infections, while two remain suspected cases. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 May 2026 The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission. Emma Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Forty of those have been delivered, Skibitskiy said, and two are suspected to have been used in Radushne, in the Dnipro Region, on 30 July in an attack that killed at least four children from the same family. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Solove argued that even with shorter retention periods and internal auditing requirements, the underlying system still collects information on large numbers of people who are not suspected of crimes. Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 After at least 20 heists in Florida, a trio suspected of stealing family heirlooms and other valuables from cemeteries is now in custody. Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 Investigators on Wednesday morning arrested a man suspected in a July 30 Elk Grove hit-and-run that seriously injured a 74-year-old pedestrian, who remains hospitalized. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Medical assistance was administered to Panettiere upon authorities' arrival, but the actress was later pronounced dead, according to police, who added that no foul play is suspected. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 An investigation into Doi’s death is underway, police said, adding that no foul play is suspected and an autopsy is scheduled for later in the week. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 Initially, some officials in the West suspected that Russia might have carried out the explosions. ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 China’s foreign ministry in June confirmed the ‌arrest of Min Zin, saying he was suspected of spying and of endangering Chinese national security. Reuters, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspected
Adjective
  • This alleged decision came after his agent Jorge Mendes met with Sporting Director on Thursday, and head coach Hansi Flick made comments at a prematch press conference which seemed to question the left back’s commitment.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Trump, meanwhile, has suggested that alleged election integrity problems will be the culprit if Republicans lose.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The big reason passkeys are safer is that they can't be stolen, copied, or guessed.
    Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes PLCs have no passwords or easily guessed ones, security experts told CBS News.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • No one doubted his stuff, but there were times in April, May and June when Painter could not meet the moment.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • However, at the beginning, customers doubted whether the change in ownership would mean a change in dedication to the gluten-free food that made Mimmo’s a local legend.
    Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • At the extreme upper end, the study found that a maximum possible prevalence of CTE — if researchers assumed that every former football player had CTE except for the 20 whose brains had definitively been cleared of a diagnosis — was around 97%.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor has quickly assumed a leadership role, with her coach using her as an example of expectations.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Cordovez questioned whether the city had acted too broadly by closing every public pool in Hialeah after the Florida Department of Health singled out Bucky Dent Water Park and shut it down following an inspection that documented 34 violations.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Chitty was newly assigned to oversee the case following the removal of the Collin County judge who presided over the high-profile murder trial after the defense questioned his impartiality.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • At least one person who was deported wasn't supposed to be, emails showed.
    CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • At least one person was deported who wasn't supposed to be, emails showed.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Many of those thought to have been involved in Shakur’s fatal shooting have since died.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Kaleigh Theriault, beverage alcohol thought leader at NielsenIQ, told Food & Wine that the shift is already showing up in industry numbers.
    Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Suspected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspected. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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