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
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
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
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
Adjective
-
The duo first appear in parodied versions of the Longlegs roles originated by Blair Underwood and Maika Monroe midway through Scary Movie, standing by as their fellow officers are sent off after a suspicious perp.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
-
The Bahraini military urged residents to exercise caution around any unfamiliar or suspicious objects that may have fallen as a result of the attacks and to report them immediately to authorities.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
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
-
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
-
There was no doubting the legitimacy of that one.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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Richards had begun privately doubting the timeline—traveling to Paris and London for modeling work, looking around, and noticing an absence of catastrophe.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
But it's also made people even more skeptical of public figures whose appearances seem naturally frozen in time.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Many consumers are wary, skeptical, and even disgusted by AI content in ads.—
Melissa A. Wheeler,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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For student loans, co-signer releases can happen after making a certain number of consecutive, on-time payments, assuming the lender offers co-signer releases.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
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After all, the injunction will last until a trial, assuming an NCAA appeal is unsuccessful, and a trial date might be scheduled after his college season ends.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Under prosecutors’ questioning, the witness agreed that his previous belief that Anthony was surrounded when the stabbing happened was incorrect.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
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After questioning witnesses, detectives determined Williams had gotten into a domestic dispute with another person who was with Taylor, and Williams pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and fired multiple shots, shooting Taylor in the back.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
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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
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 11 Jun. 2026.
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