second-guesses

present tense third-person singular of second-guess

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guesses
Verb
  • As a result, the collapse of Stockmann’s crusade feels rushed—especially in the pivotal town-meeting scene, in which his brother, the mayor, outmaneuvers him and fellow-citizens shout him down.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The report analyzes publicly available FBI and immigration arrest data and does not include details of whether charges were dropped or if people served any time in jail or prison.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The free service analyzes political fundraising texts and attempts to identify the committee behind them.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But when even dim-witted Chad also balks at the plan, Nora is forced to blackmail him into participating.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That number certainly feels like something worth panicking over—the mind balks at all the zeros.
    — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The consultant reasons by filling a notebook with calculations, then hands you a one-sentence answer, and keeps the notebook.
    — Adam Fish, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • How the Fed reasons its way to agreements is as important as the agreements.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Seth Rollins outsmarts Bron Breakker The rivalry between Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker has not slowed down one bit.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Cancio also believes rising rents are to blame for the struggling businesses on Miracle Mile and the rest of the Gables commercial district.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The 20-minute call, which Aris believes the military monitored, offered a rare glimpse of how the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate is being held.
    — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Heath pilots a fighter jet, deploys bombs in foreign countries, and thwarts cyberattacks, all after remarkably cursory and casual conversations with a government official.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Another tactic is treating ship hulls with special paint that thwarts unwanted hitchhikers from latching on.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Based on this, today’s report concludes that global climate pledges are falling short.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The tour concludes with dates in African cities including Lagos, Cape Town, and Johannesburg through January 2027.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Second-guesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guesses. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster