scrutinize
verb (used with object)
to examine in detail with careful or critical attention.
had been scrutinizing
-
past perfect progressiveof scrutinize.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 30-year-old curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario had been scrutinizing a portrait of a young Black woman bedecked in jewels and wearing a shimmering blue gown with pearls around her neck and wrists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Supervisor Janice Hahn said Preven had been scrutinizing her and her colleagues ever since she was a councilmember at City Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Shah, like Moazami, had been scrutinizing reports from colleagues in Europe and the United Kingdom about another kind of DCD donation.
From Science Magazine ● May 11, 2023
Hospital leaders had been scrutinizing the use of these procedures at the Dole VA for years.
From Salon ● Feb. 16, 2023
"Lost them for the people?" inquired the old man, whom he had first addressed, and who had been scrutinizing him narrowly.
From The Roman Traitor, Vol. 2 by Henry William Herbert
