second-guessed

verb

past tense of second-guess
1
as in outmaneuvered

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2
as in speculated (about)

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guessed
  1. outmaneuvered
  2. reasoned
  3. balked
  4. analyzed
  5. outwitted
  6. reviewed
  7. outsmarted
  8. concluded
Verb
  • For more than a decade, India’s leader Narendra Modi has seemed politically unassailable, presiding over a government that has outmaneuvered opponents, dominated public discourse and squeezed the space for dissent in the world’s biggest democracy.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • In the end, Seattle outmaneuvered and outbodied the Sparks, snatching steals and flipping the ball around the perimeter until the Storm fired off a shot.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of outmaneuvered
Verb
  • Arab Americans, the group reasoned, would need to organize to resist what was becoming reflexive support for Israel.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Watts reasoned McCollough must not have had enough water that day.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Verb
  • But the prime minister balked at turning weapons on a family—and a veteran, no less.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez blatantly balked in front of a crowd of 24,297, and the only four people who could fix it didn’t see it until watching a video afterward.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of balked
Verb
  • Mosquito traps have now been installed at the airport, Fraport said, adding that the mosquitos captured will be genetically analyzed by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, to determine their species and origin.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • However, The Next Web analyzed the upcoming phase of tariffs and noted that the Commerce Department submitted a report on July 1 that would determine if the data center exemption would survive.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of analyzed
Verb
  • To say that Cucurella was pleased, when the Spanish side outwitted the French in the semifinal, would be an understatement.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • For Deschamps and Stephan, there was no shortage of blame after Spain’s Luis de la Fuente outwitted the French coaching staff for the third time, following wins at the 2024 European Championship and last year’s Nations League semi-final.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of outwitted
Verb
  • IndieWire has reviewed screenshots of the Kingsway account repeatedly mocking Adeliyi’s career as recently as last week.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Parton’s secrets and legacy were captured in a new biography that came out earlier this year, which The Times reviewed here.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of reviewed
Verb
  • For fun, its creator Antonio Prohias also introduced a third agent who often outsmarted both.
    — Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This disease did not retreat because the bacterium weakened or because humanity outsmarted it.
    — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 July 2026
Definition of outsmarted
Verb
  • At least 15 babies and children from the faith-healing sect died between 2015 and 2025 from illnesses that doctors could have successfully treated, the experts concluded.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Kirk Heilbrun, a forensic psychologist who evaluated Clancy in April, concluded his testimony Tuesday, testifying that Clancy was suffering from a form of bipolar disorder, but could still appreciate that killing her children was wrong.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of concluded
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

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Cite this Entry

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

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