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Synonyms

scrutinize

American

[skroot-n-ahyz] / ˈskrut nˌaɪz /

especially British, scrutinise

verb (used with object)

to examine in detail with careful or critical attention.

Synonyms:

search, study, investigate

verb (used without object)

to conduct a scrutiny.

Synonyms:

search, study, investigate

scrutinize British

/ ˈskruːtɪˌnaɪz /

verb

(tr) to examine carefully or in minute detail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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.”

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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:

scrutinize scrutinizes scrutinized scrutinizing

The focus will likely be political rather than economic, but markets will scrutinize the communique for new signals, ING economists said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

That fear is partially what “Paralyzed by Hope” seeks to scrutinize and change.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

As investors increasingly scrutinize spending by artificial intelligence-related companies, many still want exposure to the big names that they hope will keep driving that new technology.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

The push reflects the restaurant chain’s effort to capture more group dining occasions as inflation-weary consumers scrutinize spending.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

His lordship went on fingering his page for a moment, leaned forward to scrutinize an entry, then said: 'Stevens, I realize this is a somewhat irregular thing to ask you to do.'

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Golden Corral scrutinizes buffet waste, marries costly shrimp with cheaper hush puppies and mines data to make money off bottomless offerings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

“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

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

Fraternities -- male social clubs common on US campuses -- are particularly scrutinized.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

It was heavily scrutinized for being so lean and a cost-cutting measure to fund AI data centers.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Earnings releases from big AI spenders Microsoft and Alphabet after the close will be scrutinized for signs that the companies’ huge investments in the technology are turning into revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The lawmakers elected in November will have a say in how federal food-safety agencies are funded, scrutinized and held accountable when the next outbreak arrives.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

Scarcely breathing, Yossarian scrutinized every figure warily as he and Hungry Joe walked back through the squadron toward their tents.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

But communities are starting to ask for more than job creation potential and total investment when scrutinizing new construction projects.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

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

But unlike the show it’s scrutinizing, “Primetime” lets its prey walk free.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

The State IG is busy scrutinizing embassies, much as the Agriculture IG focuses on food-stamp fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Frowning, Mom picked it up, scrutinizing every inch.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023