scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- rescrutinize verb (used with object)
- scrutinization noun
- scrutinizer noun
- scrutinizingly adverb
- self-scrutinized adjective
- self-scrutinizing adjective
- unscrutinized adjective
- unscrutinizing adjective
- unscrutinizingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of scrutinize
First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize
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.
But investors have also come to scrutinize the companies that are pouring so much money into AI hardware.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
The talks began after a 2025 executive order called on federal agencies to scrutinize all contracts, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
The Europeans will likewise scrutinize the billions of dollars of foreign cash pouring into this thing.
From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026
They don’t want judges to scrutinize if civil penalties are disproportionate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Prickles rising on the nape of my neck, I bent to scrutinize the tree trunk more closely: silvery bark, cool to the touch, ants marching out of a fissure in a glittering black thread.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
