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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspecting
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
By episode five, Michael had moved on from suspecting Yam Yam to suspecting Colton, who was a ringleader in the previous episode’s banishment of Big Brother fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Coupled with the sight of her parents moving Christmas presents, blankets and their dog into the family car, Goodnight and her younger brother began suspecting the worst.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Officials said the rest of the group exited the water shortly afterward, suspecting there had been a shark attack in their group.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
In Downers Grove, a few hundred demonstrators rallied outside a hotel after spotting Department of Homeland Security vehicles in the parking lot and suspecting ICE agents were lodging there.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
It’s informed by four or five other things, what to share and what not to share and paranoia around who knows what, and then people are suspecting you of something and trying not to seem suspicious.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
The comments on the video flooded with reactions to the spooky moment, with many suspecting her home might be haunted.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
After initially suspecting a bullet or debris flicked up by a truck, the police ruled out both.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
Shortly after, a family member of Mitchell's reached out to police, suspecting Immanuel was actually Mitchell.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
By episode five, Michael had moved on from suspecting Yam Yam to suspecting Colton, who was a ringleader in the previous episode’s banishment of Big Brother fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Coupled with the sight of her parents moving Christmas presents, blankets and their dog into the family car, Goodnight and her younger brother began suspecting the worst.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Officials said the rest of the group exited the water shortly afterward, suspecting there had been a shark attack in their group.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
In Downers Grove, a few hundred demonstrators rallied outside a hotel after spotting Department of Homeland Security vehicles in the parking lot and suspecting ICE agents were lodging there.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
It’s informed by four or five other things, what to share and what not to share and paranoia around who knows what, and then people are suspecting you of something and trying not to seem suspicious.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
The comments on the video flooded with reactions to the spooky moment, with many suspecting her home might be haunted.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
After initially suspecting a bullet or debris flicked up by a truck, the police ruled out both.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
Adjective
-
If a homeowner finds a suspicious device, the department said not to touch it and call law enforcement.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Joining George in his fight to stop the slasher are a particularly suspicious student (Ian Sera) and a famous tennis pro (Lynda Day George) who, bored with the celebrity touring circuit, decides to join up as an undercover detective.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of guessing where to start hunting, teams can see a list of concrete issues, tied to actual resources, in a single view.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Such vague commands, the court said, leave agents guessing how to respond during fast-moving protest situations and expose them to possible contempt sanctions.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To fool us into doubting our most obvious conclusions about how this story will unfold.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Even Harper’s closest deputies — Pierpoint alum Sweetpea and Kwabena, a season-four newcomer played by Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh — have moved beyond quietly doubting her strategy.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What experts think is possible Michael Pachter, a managing director of equity research at wealth management firm Wedbush Securities, is highly skeptical of Cohen’s ability to fulfill the acquisition.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Housing analyst Jonathan Miller, who is skeptical of the proposal, says that landlords will likely try to raise market-rate rents to help cover at least some of that rise in costs.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shifting the Storytelling Strategy Danielle Krischik, author of The Story Effect, notes that assuming storytelling is just a performance skill is limiting.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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The biggest mistake investors make is assuming that patience means inactivity.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The incident heightened national attention on aviation safety in 2025, with many people questioning whether flying was safe.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Online posts questioning the city’s account continued into the week, and protesters have kept returning to the Hyatt, banging pots and chanting in subfreezing temperatures.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The anticipated move would end a string of three consecutive quarter-point rate cuts, aligning with a cautious approach outlined by Powell last month, before reports of the investigation into his conduct.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Still, more cautious analysts have flagged weaker activity in China.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even supposing the pledges in the 1990s documents amounted to a crime, the legal deadline for bringing mortgage fraud charges has expired.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suspecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspecting. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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