1
as in guesses
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 doubts
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 suspects
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
One of the suspects was found guilty of first-degree murder in June 2021, among a list of other charges, while the other suspect pleaded guilty in early 2020 to 17 counts, including murder charges.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
As a secret organization called Metronome declares war to eliminate them, an agent named Lema suspects a hidden truth and launches an investigation to find the real enemy.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Still, Ookla editorial director Sue Marek suspects some urban dwellers are adopting Starlink partly due to dissatisfaction with traditional ISPs.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Sandel suspects those ties were strained by an unusually large group size, competition over food and reproduction, alpha male changes and diseases that killed adults that were key bridges between clusters.
—Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Although some may theoretically exist in unsampled tundra — in a place like Siberia, maybe — Van Nuland suspects that many of the species will prove to be endemic to this region.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
And Secrets suspects that a younger, noninterventionist crowd would have boosted Vance’s numbers.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
One of the suspects was found guilty of first-degree murder in June 2021, among a list of other charges, while the other suspect pleaded guilty in early 2020 to 17 counts, including murder charges.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Citi said about 90% of its overhaul is complete, and Mayo suspects more upside will come as it is completed.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
As a secret organization called Metronome declares war to eliminate them, an agent named Lema suspects a hidden truth and launches an investigation to find the real enemy.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Still, Ookla editorial director Sue Marek suspects some urban dwellers are adopting Starlink partly due to dissatisfaction with traditional ISPs.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Sandel suspects those ties were strained by an unusually large group size, competition over food and reproduction, alpha male changes and diseases that killed adults that were key bridges between clusters.
—Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Although some may theoretically exist in unsampled tundra — in a place like Siberia, maybe — Van Nuland suspects that many of the species will prove to be endemic to this region.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Marine mammal research group suspects hunger may have driven the whale.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
And Secrets suspects that a younger, noninterventionist crowd would have boosted Vance’s numbers.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspects
Noun
-
Families of the victims pleaded with the judge to deny bail and ultimately, there were no changes in bail for any of the defendants.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Queens Defenders provides legal representation to criminal defendants who can’t afford to hire lawyers, but Zeno and boyfriend Rashad Ruhani used the organization as their personal piggy bank, stealing to pay the rent on their swanky $6,000-a-month Astoria penthouse apartment.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Seitz guesses this is what drew Audree in.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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Anyone who guesses the date the snow pile will be fully melted can win a $20 Freedom card, good for a few train rides.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At times, Bartek doubts his own decision to go into farming.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Anyone who doubts this power would be used to hide government failures is ignoring state history since the 1968 passage of the California Public Records Act.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because gluten is so pervasive, avoiding it isn't as simple as skipping obvious culprits.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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They're exposed to the elements, heavy footsteps, and potential pests all year—and one of the biggest culprits behind a patchy or bare lawn is compaction.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chilli, who assumes that her daughter wants to play out a happier ending, announces that the bird has survived.—
Jean Garnett,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
That assumes, of course, that Moreno opts to sell.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Memo from the Hill Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) questions former Special Counsel Jack Smith during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, in Washington, DC on January 22, 2026.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
By the way, if anyone questions whether this is a rebuild, consider Aikman’s words.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Rex Heuermann, the man known as the Gilgo Beach killer, admitted to killing eight women over a span of decades, and the FBI is now looking into what motivated the 62-year-old to carry out his crimes to help capture other criminals in the future.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Leo’s fine, one supposes, as evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, but the role is not a natural fit for him.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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The first theory supposes that the Big Bang produced dense spots that didn’t collapse immediately.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suspects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspects. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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