SUSPECTS Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

suspects 1 of 2

noun

plural of suspect

as in defendants

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suspects

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of suspect

as in guesses

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

as in doubts

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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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 suspects

Noun

Two suspects hit several businesses in the Fairfax District early Tuesday morning, with one suspect in police custody. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 6 May 2026 Deem fired his weapon at the suspects, but no injuries were reported, and the disturbance suspect has not been apprehended. — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025 One of the suspects was found guilty of first-degree murder in June 2021, among a list of other charges, while the other suspect pleaded guilty in early 2020 to 17 counts, including murder charges. — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025

Verb

But no one suspects Becca, who walks away with an additional seven points, leaping from a tie for last place (with Izzy and Erika) to a clean win, and the fanciest, courtliest, most butterfly-est wig of them all. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 One of his personal highlights was Mark Pellington’s 1999 political thriller Arlington Road, starring Jeff Bridges as a history professor who suspects his neighbor, played by Tim Robbins, of being involved in an anti-government extremist movement. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 Pickle expert Karen Solomon, who wrote Pickles, Illustrated, suspects social media is one of the key reasons pickles are so popular right now. — Elliott Harrell, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 In conversation with Withers, one suspects that the meditation has taken effect. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 Lamming suspects that regular exercise, perhaps by using protein to build strong healthy muscles, helps protect people like athletes from the negative health effects associated with a protein-rich diet. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Anyone who suspects human trafficking can contact Florida’s trafficking hotline at 1-855-FLA-SAFE. — Eric Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 Hudson suspects the book was lost within a few years of the library opening. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 According to Reuters, Washington suspects that Moscow has provided targeting information to Iran, enabling it to hit US military assets and perhaps even CIA facilities in the Gulf. — Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspects

Noun

One of the defendants, Edward James Porter of Berwyn, allegedly called an unnamed witness on July 31 and threatened to kill them and their family, according to an affidavit.

— Josh Kelety, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Emails sent to addresses listed in an affidavit for one of the defendants went unanswered.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of defendants

Noun

The surprisingly common diagnosis has several culprits and the symptoms can be silent.

— Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Tau has long been considered one of Alzheimer’s most important culprits, but Stanford researchers have now uncovered what may be one of the protein’s most damaging tricks, a new Neuron paper shows.

— Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of culprits

Noun

North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of criminals

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suspecting

suspects

suspend

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Style

“Suspects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspects. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of suspects

noun

verb

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