1
as in sprinklings
a very small amount
went about her business without even a scruple of suspicion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in specks
a very small piece
left just a scruple of asparagus on the plate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in doubts
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do
the survey showed that many students had few scruples about cheating on papers or exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled to reveal the most intimate details about the lives of celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scruples
Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
This film for me is about morals and scruples and what people will do or won’t do for money.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Mitevska clearly has no such scruples.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
At this point in its history, the theory goes, the United States requires a willful and largely unaccountable power to impose changes that leaders with more delicate sensibilities and procedural scruples cannot ever accomplish.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
This film for me is about morals and scruples and what people will do or won’t do for money.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
Mitevska clearly has no such scruples.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruples
Verb
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Translate it poorly, and even the best technology hesitates off the line.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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But Andreia Alexander, an ER doctor in Indiana, told me that patients should not want a doctor who hesitates to save their life.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Confidence falters as the moon meets Venus.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Where government funding falters, private industry must become a vital partner to bridge the gap.—
Denis Mandich,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scruples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruples. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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