1
as in suspicious
inclined to doubt or question claims
it's good to be skeptical about what you see on TV
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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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Recent Examples of skeptical
At first, the reaction to the recipe was skeptical to negative.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
But Howell was highly skeptical of those defenses and only grew more frustrated as Lawson refused to answer direct questions about the purpose of the executive order.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
Harrison Ford forged an archetype: the skeptical rogue, a smirk king, He Who Shot First.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
Kaleo Ministries’ new project earned some praise from the zoning board, whose members lauded the efforts of Diaz and the church group but were also skeptical of its financial resources and worried about its lax code compliance.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
But Howell was highly skeptical of those defenses and only grew more frustrated as Lawson refused to answer direct questions about the purpose of the executive order.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
Harrison Ford forged an archetype: the skeptical rogue, a smirk king, He Who Shot First.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
Kaleo Ministries’ new project earned some praise from the zoning board, whose members lauded the efforts of Diaz and the church group but were also skeptical of its financial resources and worried about its lax code compliance.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeptical
Adjective
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What consumers can do is consider an identity theft protection service, which scours social media, the Internet and the dark web for your personal information and alerts you about any suspicious activity.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
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This kind of reverse inference is the same logic your bank uses when flagging suspicious activity.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, researchers are unsure why diabetes increases the risk of ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
18 Apr. 2025
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Some are unsure if their application is still valid.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Collins said Republicans also need to be cautious about slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families, another budget-cutting target identified by fiscal conservatives.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
11 Apr. 2025
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This is another reason to be cautious about forecasting tariff impacts.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the official was doubtful there were many who would want to take the job at a Pentagon that is in such disarray.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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The winner’s kids were equally doubtful, the man told lottery officials, so the man scanned the ticket to prove his million-dollar win was real.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But when President Donald Trump announced an additional 34% universal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2, Zou, who has been exporting to the United States for more than a decade, was incredulous.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Apr. 2025
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His tone is incredulous, but the question becomes a sort of guiding principle: Some characters do, in fact, believe that things can be better, despite all evidence otherwise.—
Hannah Giorgis,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Exact timing and locations of these storms remain uncertain at this time, according to the NWS.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2025
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The more Macdonald resists mythologizing or summing up, the more John Lennon and Yoko Ono emerge as fragile, complex individuals on a journey together during uncertain times.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Be careful not to let in too much moisture to avoid any mildew or mold developing on your mattress.—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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And Martin says the uncertainty about insurance rates is yet another good reason to be careful on the road.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The study, by the Kearney Consumer Institute, found that consumers are wary of spending.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Europe is wary of sleepwalking back into the trap of reliance on Russian energy resources that caused an energy crisis at the outset of the 2022 invasion and mounting speculation that Europe might reopen its taps has sparked pushback from key European voices.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeptical. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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