DISTRUSTS Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

distrusts

verb

present tense third-person singular of distrust

as in doubts

to have no trust or confidence in we instinctively distrust those phone calls that tell us we have won a free vacation or car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 distrusts The American public distrusts its legal institutions and media outlets, creating a vacuum in which wild conjecture can bloom. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 Someone who distrusts pharmaceutical companies may be more receptive to claims that the pandemic was engineered for profit. — Art Jipson, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 Trump’s decision to deploy these soldiers has thoroughly spooked a populace that already distrusts the president. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 Online claims suggest Team Norway distrusts American food after shipping 1,276 pounds of provisions for the World Cup. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 But our culture now distrusts that kind of leadership. — Jonathan Alpert Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The president and his party appear vulnerable, with polls showing much of America distrusts how Trump has managed the government in his first year back in office. — Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026 Kitsune distrusts systems and sincerity equally. — Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026 Publishing a story based on a handful of unnamed sources is simply asking too much of a public that already distrusts the media. — Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 9 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrusts

doubts

Verb

Meta could introduce technical solutions, like automatically blurring faces, as Google does in Street View images, but Szydlowski doubts Meta would voluntarily make such a privacy-conscious change without regulatory or public pressure.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
The Israeli government said in a message in English that conversations were deep and constructive, while a message in Hebrew, attributed to an anonymous Israeli official, emphasized disagreements and said that Israel doubts Hamas will disarm.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of doubts

Browse Nearby Words

distrusting

distrusts

disturb

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Distrusts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrusts. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of distrusts

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes