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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspecting
Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Surely seventh-graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s partly because girls are less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than boys are, so many adult women live their whole life with the disorder without ever suspecting it.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Later, Zapata had her killed, suspecting her of being the mole.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
By episode five, Michael had moved on from suspecting Yam Yam to suspecting Colton, who was a ringleader in the previous episode’s banishment of Big Brother fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
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.
—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
Verb
Invitees were hoping and suspecting McCartney might pop in for a wave or a comment before or after the listening session.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Surely seventh-graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s partly because girls are less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than boys are, so many adult women live their whole life with the disorder without ever suspecting it.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Later, Zapata had her killed, suspecting her of being the mole.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
By episode five, Michael had moved on from suspecting Yam Yam to suspecting Colton, who was a ringleader in the previous episode’s banishment of Big Brother fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
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.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspecting
Adjective
-
Water testing has been temporarily increased to once a month at the Oceanside Harbor after someone reported seeing a suspicious liquid dumped from a boat.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In October, Havens ran off after attendees at a school volleyball game notified a Will County sheriff’s office school resource officer of suspicious behavior, according to a sheriff’s news release at the time.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Forty-eight hours before Pearlman was guessing the name of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s unborn daughter, back on Hollywood Boulevard, Kimmel downshifted from Donald to Melania.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
SROs have been controversial, with critics doubting on-campus law enforcement’s efficacy in responding to school shootings.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While not doubting his capabilities and dedication, some have questioned Velasco’s relative lack of experience in a prestige post traditionally occupied by party notables with decades of public service.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, some analysts remain skeptical.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But that was rejected by voters, and even though 61% of voters signaled support for the millionaire tax in 2024 in a nonbinding referendum, some lawmakers were still skeptical a binding amendment would get voters' blessing.—
Ben Szalinski,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With a razor-thin majority, the Speaker can afford to lose only two GOP votes on any party-line bill, assuming that all members are present and Democrats are united in opposition.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
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Providers also can fall victim to inadvertent bias, assuming a young, otherwise healthy patient must be dealing with something other than shingles.—
Alyssa Sparacino,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The aggressive political gains DeSantis and Republicans seek also have some in the party questioning whether the new map would put GOP incumbents at risk of losing future elections.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Despite the apology, Camp Mystic’s plans to reopen in late May with nearly 900 girls have angered victims’ families, and state officials are questioning whether the license should be renewed.—
Jim Vertuno,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Be cautious of any company that pushes a specific program without understanding your circumstances.—
Rebecca Safier,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Visitors should be cautious about going into a sea cave without a guide, as a swell can flow into it and dramatically raise the water level in a matter of seconds, pushing kayaks into rocks and leaving little air for those trapped inside.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even supposing the pledges in the 1990s documents amounted to a crime, the legal deadline for bringing mortgage fraud charges has expired.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suspecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspecting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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