1
as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims
she was distrustful of her boyfriend's claim of having saved the kitten from a raging fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something
naturally distrustful of politicians who claim to have all the answers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distrustful
Markel became increasingly distrustful of Donna Adelson due to her desire to move the children away from him, even filing a motion to prevent her from having unsupervised visits with the children in 2014.
—
Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
The characters were distrustful of each other (because anybody could be the killer), and one of Warren’s favorite memories is the scene with her and Mull tussling to get out of a tight bar space at the same time.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In its wake, Diana was stripped of many royal privileges and grew distrustful of those closest to her, including her private secretary, Patrick Jephson.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
People are emotionally dysregulated, distrustful, and disconnected.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
The characters were distrustful of each other (because anybody could be the killer), and one of Warren’s favorite memories is the scene with her and Mull tussling to get out of a tight bar space at the same time.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In its wake, Diana was stripped of many royal privileges and grew distrustful of those closest to her, including her private secretary, Patrick Jephson.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
People are emotionally dysregulated, distrustful, and disconnected.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrustful
Adjective
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Still, some residents remain skeptical.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Some fiscal experts were skeptical of both measures.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Louise had always felt unsure of how to interact with the eldest daughter.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Kelly Wachel, the district’s chief communications officer, told The Star that Park Hill is unsure what a second, broader limit to property tax revenue could mean for their schools if approved by voters.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the coroner did not screen Harold's blood for poisons at the time because his death was not suspicious.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Installing strong antivirus software on your devices can also help block malicious links, detect suspicious downloads and warn you about dangerous websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Traditionally reliant on French institutional funding, the event now confronts an uncertain future as Mali’s military government severs ties with its former colonial overlord.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Security fears If Iran keeps control of the Strait of Hormuz, investors would continue to view the trade chokepoint as dangerous and uncertain.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Be cautious of calls or emails claiming to be from your bank asking for verification or urgent action.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Be cautious — but don’t write off rattlesnakes as vicious, the experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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People are mistrustful of government at all levels right now, according to Larson.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
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Initially mistrustful of each other, the two men bond over Molina's stories about movie star Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez) and her starring role in the eponymous film-within-a-film.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Orion is a tight space for four people to navigate, so the crew members have a careful choreography to maximize the data the astronauts can gather.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
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Through careful tuning of an extended Kalman filter and by taking advantage of bamboo’s natural vibration-damping properties, the system slashes control latency from 15–20 milliseconds down to just 8–10 milliseconds, enhancing responsiveness while keeping flight stable.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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