1
as in specks
a very small amount
went about her business without even a scruple of suspicion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in particles
a very small piece
left just a scruple of asparagus on the plate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in doubts
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do
the survey showed that many students had few scruples about cheating on papers or exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled to reveal the most intimate details about the lives of celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scruples
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
And like any good femme fatale, Maddy is given savvy at the expense of moral scruples.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
But the squirrelly, middle-aged guy at the weird surplus store in northern Florida had no such scruples.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Sometimes, a billionaire has very questionable scruples as to the best ways to go about things.
—Jevon Phillips, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
These firms now pay their rainmakers like Wall Street stars and have dropped their courtly scruples for relentless commercialism.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Mainstream Republicans and right-leaning unaffiliated voters will gravitate to candidates with experience and scruples.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
For Jay Gatsby, a man of immense wealth and few scruples, almost nothing is beyond his voracious appetite for excess.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
Luckily Florida has no such scruples.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
Colonial authorities regularly questioned their character, scruples, and business practices; Grietje and Anthony returned the favor.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
And like any good femme fatale, Maddy is given savvy at the expense of moral scruples.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
But the squirrelly, middle-aged guy at the weird surplus store in northern Florida had no such scruples.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Sometimes, a billionaire has very questionable scruples as to the best ways to go about things.
—Jevon Phillips, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
These firms now pay their rainmakers like Wall Street stars and have dropped their courtly scruples for relentless commercialism.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Mainstream Republicans and right-leaning unaffiliated voters will gravitate to candidates with experience and scruples.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
For Jay Gatsby, a man of immense wealth and few scruples, almost nothing is beyond his voracious appetite for excess.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
Luckily Florida has no such scruples.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruples
Noun
-
From the summit of Monte Gambarogno, the towns hugging the shore of Lake Maggiore appear as tiny specks, dwarfed by the snowcapped southern Alps to the north.—
Lisa Kadane,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
-
Silvery or mottled patches on leaves, brown or distorted petal edges, dark specks (feces) or flower buds that fail to open are signs of thrips.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As dust floats through the air, static electricity can attract particles of dirt, pollen, pet dander, and dust that accumulate on the fan blades over time.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
-
Similar to how cosmic impacts can agitate and heat lunar regolith to liberate trapped particles from the solar wind, machines can do much the same.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Through the research, and the collaboration, my doubts kept dissolving.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Sneed’s testimony became the foundation of the prosecution’s case, and has, over the decades, spurred doubts about his conviction – Glossip has never wavered in maintaining his innocence.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The person who seems least surprised by it all is Matsuzawa, perhaps the league’s only 27-year-old rookie with flecks of gray in his hair.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
-
Powerful new lasers and x-rays are enabling geologists like Korolev, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, to probe increasingly small flecks of minerals in deep diamonds.—
James Dinneen,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
In 2023-24, there could have been no qualms about which player better suited this Arsenal team.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Still, despite the qualms of the public and politicians, there’s a torrent of capital for building new data centers.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
As a ceasefire with Tehran falters, Republicans joined Democrats in pressing for details on the conflict’s costs and the administration’s plan to end it.—
Noah Robertson,
Washington Post,
12 May 2026
-
Overreliance on one industry makes economies betting on high-tech development vulnerable to market corrections, if AI development falters, or if worsening commodities shortages eventually hinder production of electronic components.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scruples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruples. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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