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as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something you should be very suspicious of those telephone calls from people telling you that you're the winner of a contest you never entered

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 suspicious The phones suspected of being hacked displayed suspicious activity in crash logs, the records a computer or a smartphone automatically writes when the operating system encounters an error or a program fails. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 5 June 2025 By the late ‘80s, Southern California was in the grip of a firestorm—a wave of suspicious blazes that erupted with chilling regularity. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 4 June 2025 Rangers with the National Park Service (NPS) responded to a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, North Carolina, on Sunday after receiving reports of a suspicious item in the dirt. Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025 There was no indication of suspicious activity and no danger to the public, police said. Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for suspicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspicious
Adjective
  • Technical guardrails help ensure agents stay within scope and flag questionable output for human review.
    Spencer Dorn, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, and, under a questionable legal basis, the Secretary of Defense has put Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • When Miramar native Evans St. Fort opened St. Fort’s Funeral Home in North Miami Beach in 2003, clients were skeptical of a funeral director still in his 20s.
    Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
  • In underbanked markets—particularly those plagued by high rates of online fraud—newer fintechs must work hard to win the trust of customers who might be skeptical about using digital services.
    Murtaza Ali, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Fewer than half of U.S. businesses report having a formal crisis communication plan, and 23% either don’t have one or are unsure if a plan exists.
    Nicole Tidei, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • When Ginny & Georgia’s Brianne Howey entered the courtroom set for Season 3, she was tasked with playing a new version of her usually confident and cunning character– one that was now afraid, powerless, and exceedingly unsure of herself.
    Jennifer Adams, StyleCaster, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Thrilling upset launches unconventional Finals: Oklahoma City and Indiana both chasing their first NBA championship made for a dubious national ratings sell, and the Knicks’ sudden firing of coach Tom Thibodeau glommed attention as the Finals began.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
  • Their once-close relationship came under scrutiny again on Thursday when billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk alleged the president was a party to Epstein’s dubious behavior.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The Chiefs, who have a history of being cautious with their rookies during summer practices, nonetheless had Simmons participate in non-team drills during rookie minicamp last month.
    Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
  • Here are some tips to choose high-quality olive oil: Be cautious with olive oils that bear significantly lower prices.
    Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • The impact of the decision is uncertain because immigrants could apply for legal status under other programs.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 June 2025
  • The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Watch out for slippery roads: Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 June 2025
  • However, Kilmeade was careful to praise Musk’s efforts during his time in the Trump administration.
    Andrew Kirell, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Trump and Musk will meet by the end of the year—giving that likelihood a 57 percent chance—but are doubtful that a meeting will come in the coming weeks.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • Initially doubtful of her claim to survivor status, she’s emboldened by her female friends to speak openly of her experience, which in turn becomes the cause célèbre that carries the entire movement.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Suspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspicious. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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