scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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scrutinizationnoun
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scrutinizernoun
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rescrutinizeverb (used with object)
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self-scrutinizedadjective
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self-scrutinizingadjective
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unscrutinizedadjective
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unscrutinizingadjective
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scrutinizinglyadverb
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unscrutinizinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scrutinizesimple
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scrutinizessimple
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have scrutinizedperfect
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has scrutinizedperfect
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am scrutinizingprogressive
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are scrutinizingprogressive
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is scrutinizingprogressive
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have been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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has been scrutinizingperfect progressive
Past
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scrutinizedsimple
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had scrutinizedperfect
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was scrutinizingprogressive
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were scrutinizingprogressive
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had been scrutinizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scrutinize
First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize
Explanation
If you want to examine something closely and go over every single detail, then you should scrutinize it. Like the way your mom probably assesses your outfit before you leave the house for school. Scrutinizing is very different from glancing or gazing. It's even more than a long, hard look. To scrutinize something, you have to look at it really critically, investigating every nook and cranny. Often things are scrutinized to verify if they're correct or authentic. So it makes perfect sense that this verb is rooted in the Latin word scrutari, which means “to search.”
Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize
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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.
See Examples For:
Individual investors, unlike the pros, are less likely to scrutinize a price-to-earnings ratio, much less a sophisticated cash-flow analysis before clicking “buy,” according to Wall Street veterans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Donabedian expects investors to scrutinize the CPI, especially in the wake of energy price spikes related to the Iran war.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Our legal system seems well prepared to scrutinize and punish their acts of self-preservation instead of examining the circumstances that made those acts necessary.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
I care about L.A. enough to hold its leaders to a higher accountability, and to scrutinize posers and pretenders who think they can do a better job.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
I scrutinize the house, but there’s nothing to see.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
“Eddington” scrutinizes our national psyche so intensely that it makes folks itchy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
After the exam, an analyst scrutinizes the results and decides whether or not they indicate deception or are inconclusive.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
She scrutinizes every element of her tour looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025
Now, she is moving again—this time into the House of Lords, the United Kingdom’s unelected upper legislative chamber that scrutinizes, amends, and approves proposed legislation.
From Science Magazine ● May 10, 2024
Jenna carefully scrutinizes the chocolate while I decide between the Gobstoppers and Bazooka gum.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
"This is my last decision," James, who had made three prior heavily scrutinized free agent moves in his career, posted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Banks set aside more money for potential losses and scrutinized their books for any signs that distress could be bubbling up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In a weekly assessment of markets published Friday, Hartnett scrutinized what is being taken for granted.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
From the beginning, the victims were scrutinized on the chance they might provide a motive.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Bright old eyes scrutinized Bod from beneath her bonnet.
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
Wall Street is scrutinizing their business performance more closely than ever ahead of their market debuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Believe me, we are really scrutinizing the emergence of second-round effects, but we are not seeing it,” she told a news conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But it’s clear, at least, that the administration is scrutinizing current elections closely.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general have been scrutinizing the proposed merger, and are widely expected to file a lawsuit, perhaps as early as this month, to try to block it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Frowning, Mom picked it up, scrutinizing every inch.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
