second-guess
verb
sec·ond-guess
ˌse-kᵊŋ-ˈges 
-kən(d)-
second-guessed; second-guessing; second-guesses
1
: to criticize or question actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known
… meet almost every morning and, over coffee, second-guess the local coach.—
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
also
: to engage in such criticism of (an action or decision)
second-guess the general's strategy
2
: to seek to anticipate or predict
… lived royally by his ability to second-guess the stock market.—Time
Time
second-guesser
noun
Examples of second-guess in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Aside from his messages of unity and urging people watching at home to never second-guess themselves, Bad Bunny also shared other asides in Spanish throughout the halftime show.
—Pamela Avila, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
The hours after her crash were filled with opinions, mostly of the second-guessing nature.
—Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The company's founder and namesake, Walt Disney, had died in December 1966, but his presence still loomed large over a studio that was seemingly second-guessing its every move.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
People are starting to second-guess themselves, and trust is eroding in ways that are hard to pinpoint.
—Harvard Business Review, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
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Pamela Avila, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
The hours after her crash were filled with opinions, mostly of the second-guessing nature.
—Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The company's founder and namesake, Walt Disney, had died in December 1966, but his presence still loomed large over a studio that was seemingly second-guessing its every move.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
People are starting to second-guess themselves, and trust is eroding in ways that are hard to pinpoint.
—Harvard Business Review, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
Cite this Entry
“Second-guess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-guess. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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