Synonyms

scrutinize

American

[skroot-n-ahyz] / ˈskrut nˌaɪz /

especially British, scrutinise

verb (used with object)

to examine in detail with careful or critical attention.

Synonyms:

search, study, investigate

verb (used without object)

to conduct a scrutiny.

Synonyms:

search, study, investigate

scrutinize British

/ ˈskruːtɪˌnaɪz /

verb

(tr) to examine carefully or in minute detail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of scrutinize

First recorded in 1665–75; scrutin(y) + -ize

Explanation

If you want to examine something closely and go over every single detail, then you should scrutinize it. Like the way your mom probably assesses your outfit before you leave the house for school. Scrutinizing is very different from glancing or gazing. It's even more than a long, hard look. To scrutinize something, you have to look at it really critically, investigating every nook and cranny. Often things are scrutinized to verify if they're correct or authentic. So it makes perfect sense that this verb is rooted in the Latin word scrutari, which means “to search.”

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

scrutinize scrutinizes scrutinized scrutinizing

The platform, which has millions of users, is particularly popular among kids, which has prompted regulators to scrutinize its safety.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Financial technology companies often rely on third-party processors and banks, Hinkle said, so the bureau’s investigators would also scrutinize what outside firms Bilt uses and what the communications have been with those firms.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

However, you live in a state where judges heavily scrutinize non-compete agreements, making them harder to enforce.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Nandy suggested that Britain also should scrutinize the impact of combining two major streaming services, HBO Max, a Warner property, with Paramount+.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Mrs. Abbott turned to look at her daughter and really scrutinize her.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

The probe is the first into a Chinese deal under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which scrutinizes non-EU government support.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

The Times looks back at a devastating year, scrutinizes official response and makes the case for being better prepared next time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2026

After the exam, an analyst scrutinizes the results and decides whether or not they indicate deception or are inconclusive.

From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025

Now, she is moving again—this time into the House of Lords, the United Kingdom’s unelected upper legislative chamber that scrutinizes, amends, and approves proposed legislation.

From Science Magazine ● May 10, 2024

The smith scrutinizes my face, his brow furrowed as if he’s considering something, making a decision.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

This retrospective tracks the early years of the highly scrutinized pair’s relationship, the fallout from their royal exit, their media ventures and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

“It was scrutinized monthly,” said Mark LaNeve, a former executive who headed GM’s sales operations before its 2009 bankruptcy and later held the same job at Ford Motor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Harry and Meghan’s U.K. return comes as British and American press are being scrutinized for their skewed coverage of Jason Arday, the youngest Black professor in Cambridge history.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

When ratings are publicly disclosed, market discipline helps drive reliability because assumptions, methodologies and judgments are scrutinized by investors, analysts and journalists.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

She scrutinized it, spending a particular amount of time reviewing the courses I’d taken.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

The State IG is busy scrutinizing embassies, much as the Agriculture IG focuses on food-stamp fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The measure would also bring drones under the arms restriction regime and increase the number of experts scrutinizing the existing embargo.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

The food-safety scare has arrived as chains throw more discounts at consumers who are scrutinizing their budgets more carefully due to higher costs of living.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

“Believe me, we are really scrutinizing the emergence of second-round effects, but we are not seeing it,” she told a news conference.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

My fingers shake, as feigning nonchalance is hard with Mom scrutinizing me.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023