suspect 1 of 3

noun

Definition of suspectnext
as in defendant

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suspect

2 of 3

verb

sə-ˈspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
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

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suspect

3 of 3

adjective

ˈsə-ˌspekt How to pronounce suspect (audio)
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

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 suspect
Noun
They were asked if anyone came to mind as a suspect, but couldn’t think of anyone. — Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026 The suspect was seen wearing red pants, a red hoodie and a black jacket vest with a black facemask. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
At San Pablo, church officials suspected that two objects had been taken during an evening Mass, while parishioners were facing the altar. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Laurel suspects that maybe some of the books in her library have been banned, but she’s given up trying to find out. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suspect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspect
  1. defendant
  2. guess
  3. doubt
  4. questionable
  5. culprit
  6. assume
  7. question
  8. suspicious
Noun
  • The defendant and others are said to have used a yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors allege the defendants used Mexican identification documents belonging to other individuals to obtain IRS taxpayer identification numbers and file fraudulent returns.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of defendant
Verb
  • So two games into the National League Championship Series, guess which team’s relief corps has been lights out and which one has been lit up?
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Police did not specify which roller coaster was involved in the incident, but CBS News Atlanta cameras saw that the park's Goliath ride was shut down, and guess were being evacuated.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • At Telluride, Fielder said the filmmakers initially doubted Seyfried would want to participate.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The event silenced critics who doubted the practicality of using ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel at sea.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of doubt
Adjective
  • Falcons defensive end Za'Darius Smith (neck) is active after being listed as questionable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Buffalo could score efficiently without needing its questionable receivers at full strength.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of questionable
Noun
  • The company says its security team used AI to identify the culprit, who now faces a federal charge.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Surging energy costs were again the primary culprit in the inflation picture.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of culprit
Verb
  • The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And, of course, anyone who remembers the optimistic hordes streaming up Michigan Avenue after Barack Obama made his victory speech for president of the United States in Grant Park well knows the local benefits of a Chicagoan assuming the presidency.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of assume
Verb
  • There is little public clarity around the individual voters whose registration is being contested or how the administration began to question their eligibility.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But Laura Zimmermann, Common Sense Media’s director of youth AI research, questioned the value of OpenAI’s statistics.
    — Marc Levy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of question
Adjective
  • For all current and former Florida residents, FLHSMV recommended taking precautions, including monitoring financial accounts and reviewing credit reports for any suspicious activity.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at iVerify discovered it while investigating a suspicious infection in August 2026.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspicious

Browse Nearby Words

susceptiveness
suspect
suspected
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Cite this Entry

“Suspect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspect. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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