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
Relevance
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
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 suspecting
Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 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
That’s partly because girls are less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than boys are, so many adult women live their whole life with the disorder without ever suspecting it.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Later, Zapata had her killed, suspecting her of being the mole.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 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
Verb
Invitees were hoping and suspecting McCartney might pop in for a wave or a comment before or after the listening session.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 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
That’s partly because girls are less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than boys are, so many adult women live their whole life with the disorder without ever suspecting it.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Later, Zapata had her killed, suspecting her of being the mole.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
Adjective
-
Water testing has been temporarily increased to once a month at the Oceanside Harbor after someone reported seeing a suspicious liquid dumped from a boat.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In October, Havens ran off after attendees at a school volleyball game notified a Will County sheriff’s office school resource officer of suspicious behavior, according to a sheriff’s news release at the time.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lead with calm confidence instead of second guessing yourself.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In lieu of that, the story’s mystery needs to be enough to keep you curious or guessing.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
SROs have been controversial, with critics doubting on-campus law enforcement’s efficacy in responding to school shootings.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While not doubting his capabilities and dedication, some have questioned Velasco’s relative lack of experience in a prestige post traditionally occupied by party notables with decades of public service.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, some analysts remain skeptical.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But that was rejected by voters, and even though 61% of voters signaled support for the millionaire tax in 2024 in a nonbinding referendum, some lawmakers were still skeptical a binding amendment would get voters' blessing.—
Ben Szalinski,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cook has led the company for almost 15 years, assuming the role shortly before founder Steve Jobs’ death in 2011.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But Europe is also making a show of assuming more responsibility for Arctic operations.—
Alan Crawford,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sources say the character didn’t survive test screenings (audiences kept questioning why Andy needed a roommate at all).—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Panamanian officials confirmed that Jalil was immediately transferred to the country’s Judicial Investigation Directorate and is expected to face questioning by prosecutors in the coming days.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But that cautious optimism among exiles is tempered by concern they could be cut out.—
Joshua Goodman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The key takeaway is that consumers are cautious, and the execution of early applications of AI in fashion is what’s holding them back right now.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
