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 Britain’s prime minister urged national soul-searching after Jason Arday, Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, died suddenly days after resigning amid plagiarism allegations and media scrutiny of his life story. — Sylvia Hui, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles is an ideal locale for such soul-searching, and being a stranger in a strange land — who finds other strangers there, too — forms a poignant, effective allegory (that’s also graciously restrained). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 While resilience was the catchphrase of the first quarter among bank CEOs, the latest blowout quarter may be prompting a bit of soul-searching. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 16 July 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

While tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen may see empathy and introspection as weaknesses, those traits are the beating heart of literature and art, the wellspring of creativity and human connection.

— Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Ahead of the 2022 season, Pryor tore the patellar tendon in his left knee during preseason camp, beginning a year of introspection, discovery and, at times, distraction from the sport that had shaped his identity.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of introspection

Noun

Fundamental Questions To Ask CEOs and the board chair should think of the annual review as a self-examination into what is working well today and what can be improved for tomorrow.

— James Langabeer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Prior to the age of 40, your annual OB-GYN exam and regular self-examination is the baseline for screening for anything suspicious; after the age of 40, an annual mammogram is recommended for additional imaging.

— Nicole Pajer, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Definition of self-examination

Noun

Whether the loss of Jason Arday has prompted any self-reflection for a notoriously ruthless industry remains to be seen, but the headlines about the Sussexes’ move back to Britain have been — so far — surprisingly lukewarm.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
The record leaned into self-reflection and self-preservation informed by a divorce, his introduction to fatherhood, and an exploration of his Mexican roots through his signature alternative R&B sound.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 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

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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 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of soul-searching

noun

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