as in defendant
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1
as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
we suspected that the runaway was a little younger than the 16 she claimed to be—more like 13
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in
I suspected him from the moment he said he was an old friend of my sister's, since I probably would have heard about him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
since she was carrying no cash or credit cards, her claim to the store's detectives that she had intended to pay for the items was suspect
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suspect
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Detectives went to talk with the suspect, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Catherine Odom
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Russia suspected of intercepting EU satellites Russian space vehicles have approached European satellites and intercepted their communications, officials believe.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Noun
Police identified a suspect Thursday in the fatal shooting of Sincere Campbell, a 17-year-old boy who was gunned down outside a deli a block away from his family’s Bronx home in 2024.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Detectives went to talk with the suspect, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Residents had begun to suspect mismanagement and wanted to terminate the contracts the developer had entered.
—Catherine Odom
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Russia suspected of intercepting EU satellites Russian space vehicles have approached European satellites and intercepted their communications, officials believe.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for suspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspect
Noun
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The only other defendant in the case so far was Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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What happens when mentally ill defendants can’t be prosecuted?—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Amazon’s February deals include Apple AirTags to keep tabs on your luggage, because guessing where your bag landed is not the vibe.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
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The rest of the judges floundered with Rita Ora guessing Selma Blair, Ken Jeong putting his money on Christina Applegate and Robin Thicke going with Danielle Fishel.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the question mark in the album title suggests, though, angst and doubt lurk beneath the bliss.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
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Critics doubt a tunnel for commuter rail will ever get built in Fort Lauderdale’s downtown.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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New England Patriots linebackers Robert Spillane and Harold Landry III were officially listed as questionable for the Super Bowl.—
Amos Morale III,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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While Britain is suffering perhaps the most dramatic upheaval in the wake of the latest batch of Epstein files, association with the billionaire is popping up across the globe like a pandemic of questionable judgment.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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If guys aren’t going to hold themselves to certain competitive standards, Gobert suggested, Wolves coach Chris Finch should start benching the culprits.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
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Historically, it's been thought these volcanic arcs were the primary culprits of injecting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.—
Ben Mather,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Until recently, the markets had assumed that companies would be buoyed by the massive amount of capex (capital expenditure) going into AI, and that AI would generate new efficiencies and higher productivity that would ultimately result in higher revenues and earnings per share.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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In the past, scientists had assumed that the ability to pretend and consider multiple realities was unique to humans.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this drama series, two friends recently divorced and widowed explore their new single lives with teenage children while questioning the possibility of a romantic future.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Feb. 2026
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Police questioned Barbosa after Arzola’s arrest.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The county had engaged with the family three times before his death, including over reports of suspicious injuries.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Clase is accused of throwing suspicious pitches to benefit those who placed wagers on him in at least 48 games, according to ESPN.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspect. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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