Thesaurus results for SOUL-SEARCHING

soul-searching

noun

ˈsōl-ˌsər-chiŋ

Definition of soul-searching

as in introspection

examination of one's own thoughts and feelings after much soul-searching, they both realized that their marriage was essentially over

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of soul-searching The group’s musical soul-searching is what gets most attention in the ReLoad box set. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026 But thankfully, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are spared any such soul-searching. — Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 The results have wide-ranging implications for the Democratic Party, which has been in a period of soul-searching since the suffering sweeping loses in the 2024 elections. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2026 But defeat left Koeman looking powerless and the Netherlands in need of new energy and new ideas as thoughts turn to the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign and an increasingly familiar period of soul-searching for Dutch football. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for soul-searching

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soul-searching

Noun

That’s why introspection and self-knowledge are at the core of every spiritual and philosophical tradition—the drive not just to know the world but to know ourselves, with each layer of self-knowledge unlocking a deeper one.

— Arianna Huffington, Time, 29 June 2026
Your desire for solitude and introspection is strong during today’s Scorpio moon.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Definition of introspection

Noun

When creating the novel, Akil was inspired by the collective interest in self-examination and the interior self.

— Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
In fact, much of our technology is designed to distract us from, or worse, replace this loop of self-examination and improvement.

— Arianna Huffington, Time, 29 June 2026

Definition of self-examination

Noun

Awareness activities encourage self-reflection and can include activities like a body scan, breathing exercises, or journaling.

— Parents, Parents, 4 July 2026
Andy Sachs exemplifies an adaptive optimist, challenging norms and fostering open environments through self-reflection and curiosity.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of self-reflection

Noun

While there’s still some of the angst and self-searching of Girls, Too Much is classic odd-couple romcom.

— James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2025
But such athletic excess is part of what makes this album admirable, as is a sense of spiritual and intellectual hunger that’ll be quickly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Ziggy Stardust/Zen Arcade/Tommy school of self-searching rock epic.

— Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025

Definition of self-searching

Noun

This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
After long periods of grief, reflection and painful self-questioning, most of the families interviewed by The Charlotte Observer no longer seem interested in reducing their children’s deaths to any one thing.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

Definition of self-questioning

Noun

And the strategies our minds reach for in moments of doubt—retreat, control, relentless self-scrutiny—can work powerfully against us at the moments that matter most.

— Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
People committed to covenant cannot lose the capacity for moral self-scrutiny.

— Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026

Definition of self-scrutiny

Noun

Trish and Dan Bell Chapel The Trish and Dan Bell Chapel will serve as a gathering place for worship, contemplation and spiritual strengthening at FIU.

— Florida International University, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Many crude laughs were bolstered by the attached contemplation.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 June 2026

Definition of contemplation

Browse Nearby Words

souls

soul-searching

soul-searchings

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“Soul-searching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soul-searching. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of soul-searching

noun

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