1
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something
he was doubtful about the decision to complete the project despite its mounting problems
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
the election results were highly doubtful, so an investigation was begun
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
our winning the championship increasingly looks like a doubtful outcome
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in disputable
open to question or dispute
a doubtful claim to the property
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of doubtful
Boston's Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are both doubtful for this game, and Jaylen Brown is questionable with a knee injury.
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
But if a player is injured, he is injured, with Andrew Wiggins listed as doubtful for Sunday against the Knicks.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
Both Jaquez and Wiggins were listed as doubtful before they were formally ruled out.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Club captain Lewis Dunk is ruled out against Bournemouth for the third game running by a rib injury and Danny Welbeck is doubtful after a knock in training kept him out at Southampton.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doubtful
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
But if a player is injured, he is injured, with Andrew Wiggins listed as doubtful for Sunday against the Knicks.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
Both Jaquez and Wiggins were listed as doubtful before they were formally ruled out.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Club captain Lewis Dunk is ruled out against Bournemouth for the third game running by a rib injury and Danny Welbeck is doubtful after a knock in training kept him out at Southampton.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doubtful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doubtful
Adjective
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When breaches do occur, the notifications are often vague or slow to arrive, leaving users unaware of the risks they have been exposed to—and unsure of how to respond effectively.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Researchers are unsure why the bird flu virus survived the aging process, but the fat and protein content in the cheese, along with the relatively low aging temperature, likely contribute to the stability of the virus, according to Martin.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some questionable late-race maneuvering saw Hamilton finish tenth, nine spots back of McLaren’s Lando Norris, eight spots behind longtime rival Verstappen, and seven spots worse than former Mercedes-AMG Petronas teammate, George Russell.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
18 Mar. 2025
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By Musk's logic, cracking down on questionable payments – such as those handled by payees without valid SSNs – is crucial to saving taxpayer money.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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What the economy is now experiencing, partially a result of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies dampening economic growth forecasts and renewing concerns about inflation, is unlikely to prompt Fed officials to so much as whisper stagflation to one another.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN,
20 Mar. 2025
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But impeachment and removal are unlikely under the current makeup of Congress.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On the surface, the creamy tomato dish with citrusy greens has all the makings of a dinner that seems too good to be true—minimal prep, a handful of ingredients, and only one pot to clean up afterward—so naturally lots of folks are skeptical.—
Audrey Bruno,
SELF,
19 Mar. 2025
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Still, learning to think like a historian does not necessarily prepare someone to be a skeptical news consumer.—
Lightning Jay,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Recent antagonism toward the government workforce, however, has targeted a particular type: the office-dweller, the laptop-user, the knowledge worker who is possibly remote, possibly dead, whose products are indeterminate and, therefore, of dubious value.—
Charlie Tyson,
The New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2025
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During his long television career, Oz's promotion of dubious health products has gotten him into hot water.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The effects of retail therapy on mood improvement are debatable.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
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How much should be blamed on Spoelstra is debatable.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Weiss was fired in January 2023 after a report of suspicious computer activity at Schembechler Hall, Michigan’s football facility.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Contact the company directly through official channels, avoiding the contact information from the suspicious job listing.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Executive order spurs uncertain moment The executive order comes as the Cass County Historical Society is about seven months into its year-long grant.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Tshisekedi and Kagame held a surprise face-to-face meeting in Qatar on March 18, but the prospect of a peaceful resolution is still uncertain.—
Emmet Livingstone,
The Dial,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doubtful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doubtful. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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