scruples 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of scruple
1
as in specks
a very small amount went about her business without even a scruple of suspicion

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2
as in particles
a very small piece left just a scruple of asparagus on the plate

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scruples

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of scruple
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

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scruples

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of scruple
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scruples
Noun
Spreadsheets existed in 2006, but here they are kept, like everyone’s shame and scruples, firmly out of sight. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 Hilton rejects the argument floated by some of his former colleagues that his scruples became a casualty of his ambition. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Still, there are some smart, well-meaning voices of caution who warn Democrats against forgetting their scruples. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 The people of every commune knew and feared those like him — stern figures in black whose ideological devotion appeared to outweigh any moral scruples. — Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg, 22 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruples
  1. specks
  2. particles
  3. doubts
  4. hesitates
  5. sprinklings
  6. flecks
  7. qualms
  8. falters
Noun
  • The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Breakouts can look like milder, painless white bumps or dark specks known as whiteheads and blackheads, or more painful red bumps and deeper cysts — a mark of cystic acne.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of specks
Noun
  • Those products are made with tiny particles that are more likely to be inhaled or absorbed by marine organisms.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • For example, when a credit card is fragmented into particles some 10 microns in diameter, there is a more than 200-fold increase in its surface area, says Wei Min, a chemist at Columbia University and one of the senior authors of the study.
    — Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of particles
Noun
  • Shares tumbled to as low as 79 cents a share intraday in late 2008, as doubts grew about its ability to stay in business.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Soon, in spite of my doubts, we were informed that, the next week, cameras were coming in.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of doubts
Verb
  • Deanna hesitates, still wounded by the estrangement, but opens the house again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the film plays out in close-up as Alex watches, plays, thinks, hesitates.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of hesitates
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, 12 June 2026
Definition of sprinklings
Noun
  • The oversized jacket featured a furry white base adorned with flecks of silver, which beautifully mirrored the sumptuous coats on the runway.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Add the torn basil and process just until incorporated -- there will be flecks of green in the mixture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of flecks
Noun
  • Despite her qualms, Chavchavadze continued to see Jack throughout his presidency.
    — Laurence Leamer, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The warm and charismatic straight-shooter, who has clocked 20 years in the biz, has no qualms with exposing the inner workings of what can be a highly secretive industry.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of qualms
Verb
  • Lucy’s constant sense of invention sometimes falters under the album’s new, megawatt spotlight, lacking the enticing mystery that gives their best music its power.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Power play falters For the first time this season, the Oilers power play was a no-show, going 0-for-3 in the first period.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of falters

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Cite this Entry

“Scruples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruples. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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