as in suspicious
inclined to doubt or question claims
suspecting dieters probably wouldn't fall for a weight-loss plan that claims you can eat as much as you want
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in guessing
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 doubting
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspecting
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Prosecutors argued that Chow acted out of anger after wrongly suspecting Cyrus of stealing the water, according to the AP.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
On May 28, 2023, Chow and his son, Andy Chow, pursued Cormack-Belton out of their Columbia, South Carolina, convenience store after suspecting him of shoplifting.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Three people suspecting in a series of pickpocket crimes in San Francisco's Chinatown were arrested over the weekend after a weeks-long investigation, police said Tuesday.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Non-human identities already outnumber humans by roughly 50 to 1 in the average enterprise, with over two-thirds of enterprises suspecting that AI agents have accessed unauthorized data.
—Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But wouldn’t unwarrantedly suspecting a partner, or a father, of such heinous crimes in fact be its own kind of monstrousness?
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 May 2026
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Surely seventh-graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
So Boutros, no doubt suspecting political preconceptions at work, addressed the grand jurors himself.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Prosecutors argued that Chow acted out of anger after wrongly suspecting Cyrus of stealing the water, according to the AP.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
On May 28, 2023, Chow and his son, Andy Chow, pursued Cormack-Belton out of their Columbia, South Carolina, convenience store after suspecting him of shoplifting.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Three people suspecting in a series of pickpocket crimes in San Francisco's Chinatown were arrested over the weekend after a weeks-long investigation, police said Tuesday.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Non-human identities already outnumber humans by roughly 50 to 1 in the average enterprise, with over two-thirds of enterprises suspecting that AI agents have accessed unauthorized data.
—Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But wouldn’t unwarrantedly suspecting a partner, or a father, of such heinous crimes in fact be its own kind of monstrousness?
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 May 2026
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Surely seventh-graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
Adjective
-
Cooperation once cautious — even suspicious — became fluid and strategic.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Dec. 2025
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Directed by Alan Mak and starring Aaron Kwok, Simon Yam and Francis Ng, the film centres on a barrister and a police officer who team up to investigate the suspicious death of a charity organisation’s finance chief — exposing corruption and money-laundering at the heart of the group.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, employers are left guessing whether the $100,000 charge applies to petitions filed today.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
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Spielberg keeps us guessing what’s going on by opening at a wrestling match, a crowded place Daniel has chosen to make the exchange, trading the device for the return of Jane.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Verb
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At the Spanish Grand Prix, Briatore began doubting Colapinto in public.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Micheal Cole spent the entire match doubting this was the real El Grande Americano, while Corey Graves played dumb.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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But some agents IndieWire spoke with were skeptical such success stories were anything more than one-offs.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Dec. 2025
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Politicians on the other side of the political spectrum are equally skeptical.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That works out to roughly four reusable water bottles per day for men and about three for women, assuming bottles are in the standard 24- to 32-ounce range.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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And that’s assuming the deal, set to be signed Friday, proves durable.—
David McHugh,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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According to the affidavit, investigators confronted Holmes with the surveillance video and witness statements during questioning.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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As Fujimori’s lead slowly widened in the past few days, Sánchez intensified his efforts to rally supporters, questioning the integrity of the vote review process and framing the dispute as a broader fight for democratic legitimacy.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Ciara is very cautious and played it slow in opening her heart up to West.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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When an algorithm can produce a defensible answer in seconds, human decisions start to feel riskier by comparison, which can lead leaders to take a more cautious approach and request additional reviews.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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There is an assumption of arrogance, of high expectations, of going into every major tournament presuming their team will win it.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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All three players will be unrestricted free agents this summer, presuming Reaves declines his player option as has been widely expected for quite some time.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suspecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspecting. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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