scrutinize
Americanverb (used with object)
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scrutinizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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scrutinized,
past participle, past
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scrutinizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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scrutinizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scrutinized,
past participle, past
-
scrutinizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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scrutinizationnoun
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scrutinizernoun
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rescrutinizeverb (used with object)
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self-scrutinizedadjective
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self-scrutinizingadjective
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unscrutinizedadjective
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unscrutinizingadjective
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scrutinizinglyadverb
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unscrutinizinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scrutinizesimple
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scrutinizessimple
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have scrutinizedperfect
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has scrutinizedperfect
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am scrutinizingprogressive
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are scrutinizingprogressive
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is scrutinizingprogressive
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have been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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has been scrutinizingperfect progressive
Past
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scrutinizedsimple
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had scrutinizedperfect
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was scrutinizingprogressive
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were scrutinizingprogressive
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had been scrutinizingperfect progressive
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize
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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:
However, you live in a state where judges heavily scrutinize non-compete agreements, making them harder to enforce.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
During that time, people from every corner of the world online seemed to take every opportunity to scrutinize every contour of her frail frame.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Focus: Investors will scrutinize Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s postmeeting remarks for clues on the timing of the next rate increase, particularly how strongly he emphasizes the risk of inflation overshooting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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
The song ended and Lily flopped down on her little bench in front of her vanity and began to scrutinize her highlights.
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
And instead of simply presenting these characters to an audience, as “Death of a Unicorn” does, the series scrutinizes them.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 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
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
Morrow told the judge Thursday he didn’t believe his clients’ cases should be scrutinized solely because of the allegations dogging his firm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
"This is my last decision," James, who had made three prior heavily scrutinized free agent moves in his career, posted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Safety had always been key, but after the Apollo 1 AS-204 disaster, we scrutinized our efforts to make sure that everything would be as safe as possible.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
The efforts come as business leaders have been cracking down on their AI spending, and scrutinizing whether the costs are worthwhile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Both the pandemic and several waves of corporate layoffs since mean that many more people look like job hoppers these days—and that employers are scrutinizing their job history, recruiters say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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
Wall Street is scrutinizing their business performance more closely than ever ahead of their market debuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The two souls of heroes advanced together, scrutinizing these.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
