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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspecting
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Officials said the rest of the group exited the water shortly afterward, suspecting there had been a shark attack in their group.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
In Downers Grove, a few hundred demonstrators rallied outside a hotel after spotting Department of Homeland Security vehicles in the parking lot and suspecting ICE agents were lodging there.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
It’s informed by four or five other things, what to share and what not to share and paranoia around who knows what, and then people are suspecting you of something and trying not to seem suspicious.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
The comments on the video flooded with reactions to the spooky moment, with many suspecting her home might be haunted.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
After initially suspecting a bullet or debris flicked up by a truck, the police ruled out both.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Indianapolis police eventually ruled it an accident after initially suspecting Mark Sanchez.
—Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Anyone suspecting exposure is urged to seek medical advice immediately.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Coupled with the sight of her parents moving Christmas presents, blankets and their dog into the family car, Goodnight and her younger brother began suspecting the worst.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
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.—
Verb
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Instead of guessing what to try first, Basin set me up for success from the start and offered me an overview of each treatment and the benefit of a thermotherapy circuit.—
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Also, there’s value in keeping people guessing.—
Verb
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For the skeptically inclined, that reasoning might argue for doubting the existence of other minds, rather than for believing in God.—
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But there’s no doubting the dysfunction that comes with the streak.—
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.—
Verb
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In estimating that online sales would result in overall annual profits of about $30-90 million, the Legislative Services Agency is assuming there would be an accompanying decrease in retail lottery sales.—
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Launching a military operation and then assuming responsibility for governance shifts Washington toward a closed, coercive model of power – one that relies on force to establish authority and is prohibitively costly to sustain over time.—
Verb
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He was held for questioning for two days, but released without charges in connection to her death.—
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Roughly 20 parents spoke to the school board Thursday night questioning what would happen if Blanton closed.—
Adjective
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Be especially cautious in school zones and watch for children and the flashing lights of school buses.—
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Two years as a mental health patient had taught Virginia to be cautious.—
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.—
Cite this Entry
“Suspecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspecting. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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