1
as in suspicious
inclined to doubt or question claims
it's good to be skeptical about what you see on TV
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
I'm a little skeptical of this low bid, since it's way below what the other contractors said that they would charge
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skeptical
But many state workers are skeptical of that reasoning.
—
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Sotiroff is more skeptical of those claims.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Still, even among observers who were skeptical of the company’s current valuation, many acknowledge Musk’s achievements building Tesla and SpaceX into giants — and making money for investors, thanks in part to his loyal retail investor fanbase.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
His wealth explosion has inspired his devotees, exhilarated his investors, vexed the skeptical and enraged those calling for higher taxes on the ultra-rich.
—Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Sotiroff is more skeptical of those claims.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Still, even among observers who were skeptical of the company’s current valuation, many acknowledge Musk’s achievements building Tesla and SpaceX into giants — and making money for investors, thanks in part to his loyal retail investor fanbase.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
His wealth explosion has inspired his devotees, exhilarated his investors, vexed the skeptical and enraged those calling for higher taxes on the ultra-rich.
—Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeptical
Adjective
-
Cooperation once cautious — even suspicious — became fluid and strategic.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Directed by Alan Mak and starring Aaron Kwok, Simon Yam and Francis Ng, the film centres on a barrister and a police officer who team up to investigate the suspicious death of a charity organisation’s finance chief — exposing corruption and money-laundering at the heart of the group.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The county is asking residents who are unsure about how to handle their tax bills to call or email an assessment hotline, which launched this week and is staffed by both collections and assessment staff.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Dec. 2025
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Some residents heard a loud blast, but crews remain unsure about what caused the blast.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Ciara is very cautious and played it slow in opening her heart up to West.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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When an algorithm can produce a defensible answer in seconds, human decisions start to feel riskier by comparison, which can lead leaders to take a more cautious approach and request additional reviews.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sounding doubtful and defeated, Jessica hung up.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
There is some irony in that Donachie also coaches Barcelona’s Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, for whom a permanent move to the Camp Nou now looks doubtful after his England team-mate’s arrival.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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In a video a student posted to TikTok, Swicegood looks at the gift bag, incredulous, then wipes his eyes and takes a seat to steady himself.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Dec. 2025
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The tone from the rest of the public, for some reason, bordered on incredulous.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Because neurobiological evidence can be seen as especially objective by a jury, even when its application to a specific case is uncertain, judges may be cautious about admitting it.—
Adeline Goss,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
-
Between Richards’ health, Ream’s age and the uncertain roles of McKenzie and Robinson, center back is the USMNT’s most fluid position.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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This slice of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, at the far eastern edge of Lake Michigan, is an International Dark Sky Park and continues to take careful steps to preserve and protect the nighttime environment, an absolute necessity for the ideal northern lights viewing experience.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
19 Aug. 2025
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Be careful not to use harsh chemicals like bleach, as this can damage or discolor the countertops.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The doc goes on to note that, along with boorish audiences, record labels were also wary of Culture Club, even though their aesthetic was very much in the early Eighties new wave and pop mold.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
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Google recommends that organizations verify IT support requests and to be wary of any unsolicited calls or emails requesting screen-sharing sessions.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeptical. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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