as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims
a naturally questioning person, she demands rock-solid proof before she believes anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in inquiry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in challenging
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
the teenager openly questioned the authority of the town's police force to impose a curfew on residents under the age of 18
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to
question your motives before you file the lawsuit: do you really care about the trees, or are you just trying to harass the neighbors?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in doubting
to have no trust or confidence in
it was apparent that voters were questioning the President's ability to manage the economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in asking
to put a question or questions to
the press should be allowed to question public officials about any matter of general interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in interrogating
to put a series of questions to
the police questioned the suspect before deciding that there was insufficient evidence to hold him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of questioning
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
After two lengthy days of questioning, a jury has been selected in the bribery trial of Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III, who is accused of conspiring to accept $5,000 and other perks from a red-light camera company executive in exchange for his help with legislation in Springfield.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Dec. 2024
Many families are prioritizing financial stability over the prestige of a brand-name college, questioning whether the investment in a traditional college education is always the right choice.
—Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Noun
Those experiences in the ICU sparked a deep sense of questioning for McFadden — was there a better way to approach end-of-life care?
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
After two lengthy days of questioning, a jury has been selected in the bribery trial of Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III, who is accused of conspiring to accept $5,000 and other perks from a red-light camera company executive in exchange for his help with legislation in Springfield.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
Police later arrested the man and are questioning him.
—Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Dec. 2024
Many families are prioritizing financial stability over the prestige of a brand-name college, questioning whether the investment in a traditional college education is always the right choice.
—Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for questioning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for questioning
Adjective
-
Some are skeptical given his slight wingspan and arm length and wonder if a move to left guard may eventually be necessary.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Listen, many Gomez fans were skeptical when the singer confirmed her relationship with the prolific music producer back in December 2023.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While there have been a few inquiries, Iggy still hasn't found his forever home.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The Treasury Department on Wednesday sent an inquiry to the IRS’s acting chief counsel, Andrew De Mello, asking the agency to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status, according to The Washington Post.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Today big tech is aggressively challenging long-standing legal protections in copyright law, in intellectual property, fair data practices and data privacy protections.—
Hessie Jones,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which went on an historic two-and-a-half week strike in March after negotiations for a new contract broke down, had filed a petition with the Sixth District Court of Appeal on April 1, challenging the ruling of the Santa Clara County Superior Court.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
While producers pondering where to set their next movie will surely be tempted, this does come at a time when those in Hollywood especially are desperate to bring production back to home shores.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
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Murphy, who has launched a group called the American EV Jobs Alliance to try to build bipartisan support for electric vehicles, has spent years pondering why more Republicans won't buy them.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has silenced critics doubting his Ferrari move after securing the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race victory.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
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Soon, he was flooded with messages from a group text thread of his best friends, sharing social media posts doubting McCollum.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The plaintiffs are asking the court to block the administration’s order, which puts Haitians at risk of being returned to a country overrun by deadly gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2025
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The Purple One was not pleased when his band started asking questions.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But he’s also been deeply suspicious for years of the government’s intelligence agencies.—
Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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So when head vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell) and his two recent white recruits originally show up, Smoke and Stack are suspicious enough of their motives to turn them away.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Russell Jones taunts investigators while alone in the interrogation room.—
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
But then the woman Bob slept with goes missing and new revelations in the decade-old Summers case send Sarah and Bob back into the interrogation room.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Questioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/questioning. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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