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scrutinize

American  
[skroot-n-ahyz] / ˈskrut nˌaɪz /
especially British, scrutinise

verb (used with object)

  • scrutinizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • scrutinized,
    past participle,  past
  • scrutinizing
    present participle
  1. An image of the word scrutinize as defined by to examine in detail with careful or critical attention.

    to examine in detail with careful or critical attention.

    Synonyms:
    search, study, investigate

verb (used without object)

  • scrutinizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • scrutinized,
    past participle,  past
  • scrutinizing
    present participle
  1. to conduct a scrutiny.

    Synonyms:
    search, study, investigate
scrutinize British  
/ ˈskruːtɪˌnaɪz /

verb

  1. (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

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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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Vocabulary lists containing scrutinize

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:

In a letter sent this month, Burchett noted that he wanted to scrutinize how homelessness has gotten worse during her tenure as mayor.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 15, 2026

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

She said investigators would scrutinize tower staffing following the LaGuardia crash.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 27, 2026

Americans are repeatedly encouraged to scrutinize what is in their food, who made it and whether the institutions responsible for regulating it can be trusted.

From Salon Aug. 27, 2026

He has only seen the paperwork involved with the circus in passing, hasn’t bothered to scrutinize the details of the thing in years.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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

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

With packaged products, Antoci scrutinizes every ingredient profile.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 2, 2024

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

Jenna carefully scrutinizes the chocolate while I decide between the Gobstoppers and Bazooka gum.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

While that is accurate, statements like this make the conflict seem normal and perhaps unavoidable, rather than the result of a linked set of decisions that might themselves be scrutinized.

From Salon Sep. 19, 2026

Ohtani’s health has been scrutinized for much of the season and even more over the last week.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 3, 2026

Meanwhile, Kalshi competitor Polymarket is being scrutinized for offering bets on disasters such as wildfires.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 27, 2026

Will flights be scrutinized for bulk-cash and gold smuggling?

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

He withdrew the picture and scrutinized it himself for a moment.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Accident investigators probing an Amazon cargo flight crash in Miami are scrutinizing the speed of the aircraft, whether an airport safeguard might have helped prevent the tragedy and whether the weather played a role.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 7, 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

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

She reads each signature over and over, checking how securely each lock of hair is pasted, scrutinizing each symbol.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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