1
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
any letter bearing the signature of Geronimo would be of dubious authenticity, to say the least
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
I'm dubious about our plan to go hang gliding without having had any training
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3
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
made the dubious claim of being of royal blood
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4
as in skeptical
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something
dubious about a diet that claims I can eat all I want and still lose weight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dubious
The tactical decision has drawn harsh criticism and protests for its dubious legality, as some Democrats have branded the military incident an Iraq War deja vu.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2026
Witnesses testifying at a June 1989 congressional hearing held by a subcommittee of the House Small Business Committee in Washington heard a litany of horror stories of patients maimed by surgeons with dubious training and credentials.
—Jason Kane, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
There were also some dubious pieces of visual evidence that ended up on the DOJ website, including a clearly fake video of Epstein's jail-cell suicide that was uploaded and later removed.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
The case for this President’s indecency hardly requires putting a dubious letter into evidence.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dubious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dubious
Adjective
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The ingredient lists are often questionable, loaded with gums, stabilizers, oils, and added sugars that brands throw in to make their products taste and act like real milk.—
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Outside of those three young players and Cam Skattebo, Schoen has consistently made questionable decisions since landing in New York and has a 22-45-1 record to show for it.—
Adjective
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Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.—
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Alex was a more reluctant participant, dutifully tagging along during Maia’s lessons, but more interested in mirroring Michael Jordan’s career on the basketball court.—
Adjective
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The team rallied to win their first Test in Australia since 2011 at the MCG in Melbourne and have now taken the final Test into a fifth day in Sydney, albeit victory looks unlikely.—
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Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said a major drought year is unlikely given how much precipitation the state has gotten, adding that the southern part of state is seeing one of the wettest starts to any water year on record.—
Adjective
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While Pyongyang has conducted a series of hypersonic tests in recent years, many foreign experts remain skeptical that the weapons have achieved the necessary speed and maneuverability.—
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Braeden Johnson is also skeptical as a taxpayer, but is happy as a Kansas resident to see the team move across the state line.—
Adjective
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That disputable appraisal turned a few heads, and people began peppering the bot for further remarks on Musk’s physical prowess.—
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That time, a very disputable foul denied him.—
Adjective
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Major oil companies remain hesitant about Venezuela investments due to political instability, past expropriations and uncertainty over contract protections and guarantees.—
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The Pitt gives us lots of reasons to be hesitant about trusting Al-Hashimi.—
Adjective
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Ballard said his clients in the country at the time were unsure of what to do in the immediate aftermath of Maduro's capture.—
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Maduro’s supporters gathered throughout the city, many bearing arms, but seemed unsure of what to do next.—
Adjective
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The committee has called on state officials to testify in closed-door, transcribed interviews, while requesting suspicious activity reports from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with a staff-level briefing from the Justice Department.—
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When the publication of his article is followed by the suspicious suicide of Dale Washberg, Lee follows a trail of breadcrumbs to find out the truth.—
Cite this Entry
“Dubious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dubious. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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