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
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 These firms now pay their rainmakers like Wall Street stars and have dropped their courtly scruples for relentless commercialism. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 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
  • Pay close attention to where leaves meet the stem, the underside of leaves, and within the petals for any movement or tiny specks.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The specks of dirt on the screen, that’s a byproduct of the process that Imax projectors use to advance the frames.
    — Chris Stanton, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of specks
Noun
  • Most is in the form of subatomic particles called neutrinos, which carry little energy individually but are generated in vast numbers when a star explodes.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The sound of the title track is reminiscent of kicking a pebble on a road or watching dust particles dancing in a shaft of light.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of particles
Noun
  • The fun along with — of course — the doubts, the surprises, the deadlines, the page count.
    — Lisa Kudrow, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The contretemps later that year with Japan only further raised doubts about Beijing’s command over the industry.
    — GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of doubts
Verb
  • If someone hesitates, gently restate the goal and offer one reasonable option while staying loyal to your own needs.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
  • In Spearfish, Yu hesitates over a set of cow grates and dumps her bike at low velocity.
    — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 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
  • Amid his vast responsibilities running all the departments in the Giants’ front office, Zaidi still found the time to pore over MLB Draft League statistics and look for flecks of gold.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Little flecks of roasted sweet potato pepper the cake, and a tangy cream cheese glaze is a perfect complement to the warm spices and crunchy topping.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of flecks
Noun
  • One of our only qualms about these headphones was the hefty $359 asking price.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • British publications have fewer qualms, generally, about mocking the dead.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of qualms
Verb
  • Extreme heat is redefining electricity as emergency infrastructure, pushing grids to their limits as demand soars and supply falters.
    — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • While the federal government remains indispensable in public health, these state-level collaborations demonstrated that regional governance can emerge quickly when national leadership falters.
    — John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 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 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of scruples for Spanish Speakers

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