question mark

noun

1

a

: something unknown, unknowable, or uncertain

b

: someone (such as an athlete) whose condition, talent, or potential for success is in doubt

2

: a mark ? used in writing and printing at the conclusion of a sentence to indicate a direct question

Examples of question mark in a Sentence

The team's pitching is a big question mark this season.

Recent Examples on the Web

Offensive line remains a question mark The offensive line is the toughest position to gauge because injuries were a massive issue in the spring, but the unit struggled in the scrimmage. —Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

After dark, face south and look for a backward question mark of stars — this is the Lion's head, with Regulus at its base. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026

There are still several question marks, including at the quarterback position, after trading for Geno Smith last month. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026

There the new images reveal an odd structure that resembles an upside down question mark. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for question mark

• disembark
• matriarch
• meadowlark
• patriarch
• watermark
• arc
• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark

Kids Definition

question mark

noun

: a punctuation mark ? used chiefly at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question