1
as in questionable
giving good reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged
any letter bearing the signature of Geronimo would be of dubious authenticity, to say the least
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
I'm dubious about our plan to go hang gliding without having had any training
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
made the dubious claim of being of royal blood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in skeptical
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something
dubious about a diet that claims I can eat all I want and still lose weight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dubious
The administration’s policies are more extreme, and there’s a brazenness to the whole affair—nobody’s even trying to justify the plot (or, in this case, cover up the corruption and dubious legality of the government’s deportation regime).
—
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
But another piece of it is in the dubious nature of the state’s creation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous
Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
Pair that with a Republican reconciliation bill that increases tax giveaways while refusing to rein in even the most dubious Medicaid expansions, and the message is unmistakable: Washington is still in giveaway mode.
—Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dubious
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
But another piece of it is in the dubious nature of the state’s creation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 20 June 2025
The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous
Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
Pair that with a Republican reconciliation bill that increases tax giveaways while refusing to rein in even the most dubious Medicaid expansions, and the message is unmistakable: Washington is still in giveaway mode.
—Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dubious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dubious
Adjective
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Credits are issued by independent registries but the market has faced criticism for inconsistent standards, greenwashing, and questionable impact.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Chisholm followed that free pass with a questionable sac bunt for the first out of the inning.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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The band is reluctant to get into too many other details of Lydon’s behavior on that tour.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
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Our evaluation might be incorrect, and investors may be reluctant to assign a higher valuation to P&G due to its recent decline in sales.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game is much mythologized in NBA lore, but his extremely unlikely performance at the foul line that night isn’t recognized often.—
Chris Reed,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Defeat to the Netherlands would eliminate them (unless Wales were to beat France, leaving England praying for an unlikely 9-3-3-3 group and scraping through in second, which simply isn’t going to happen).—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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That included 83% of Democrats but just 33% of Republicans, who tend to be more skeptical of climate change.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
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Lee also points out North Korea's poor infrastructure and vulnerability to geopolitical fluctuations as reasons to be skeptical about its tourism ambitions.—
Se Eun Gong,
NPR,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Yet Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – which leads Germany’s coalition government – is hesitant.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
6 July 2025
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His defense at second base is also still evolving, too, which accentuates why the Astros are hesitant to summon him.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Without the autonomy to approve such costs within the agency, employees are unsure of their responsibilities.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
11 July 2025
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After the 8-1 loss, Hodge sounded unsure of what was at the root of his struggles.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Eventually when interest payments stopped, the scam investor victims in the Ponzi scheme became suspicious and following an investigation by the FBI both Burton and Wellesley were charged with wire fraud and money laundering.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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The suspicious person with a range finder who because the shooter, many times he was spotted by police with suspicion.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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After delivering several flops since its inception in 2019, such as Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, the future of Apple's foray into movies remained doubtful.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 July 2025
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Ticketing companies show support for Donald Trump's executive order, others prove to be doubtful of 'meaningful change' Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster, issued a statement supporting Trump's executive order and calling for a cap on resale prices.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dubious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dubious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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