as in doubt
a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something
the psychic's bold claims were greeted with distrust and outright scorn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in
we instinctively distrust those phone calls that tell us we have won a free vacation or car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distrust
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Instead, vague national messaging fueled confusion and distrust.
—Deborah L. Birx, STAT, 5 Jan. 2026
Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2025
Michael Noone, Scott’s partner, catalyzed Steve’s investigation but came to distrust its findings.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrust
Noun
Advertisement But physicians, immunologists, and other medical experts have criticized the move as sowing distrust of vaccines and creating confusion among patients and healthcare providers.
—Verb
It’s rooted in a belief system that distrusts institutions — government health agencies, vaccine makers, medical societies and others — on the premise that those institutions seek only money and control.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrust
Noun
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Cameron Winter’s lyrics have an air of inscrutable mysticism, but there is little doubt he’s supposed to be the one singing them.—
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Tonga has missed the past three games, which puts his availability for Sunday’s Wild Card showdown with the Chargers in significant doubt.—
Noun
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European and Ukrainian reactions ranged from cautious engagement to outright skepticism.—
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However, some legal experts and investors are anticipating a partial or full refutation of the president’s IEEPA tariffs, as the justices showed skepticism during arguments about the president’s authority to levy such taxes without Congressional approval.—
Noun
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All the while, Tony Award winning director David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) exploits audience suspicion.—
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Priya, meanwhile, turns her suspicions on Jack as well as the elusive Catherine, who yields no results on a Google search save for an article about her dead older sister.—
Noun
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Polk said the astronaut is stable but that diagnostic uncertainty in microgravity prompted NASA to err on the side of bringing the crew member back to Earth.—
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But in the second season of the series, which wrapped last Sunday, a new sense of uncertainty, reflection, and maturity grips the central characters, making for even better television.—
Noun
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Competition and mistrust can arise even among friends who share similar goals.—
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What’s fueling conspiracy theories A growing obsession with true crime in the media, a mistrust of authorities in the US and a history of conspiracy theories in American culture likely contributed to rumors and misinformation about the bayou deaths, Spicer said.—
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrust. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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