second-guess

verb

sec·​ond-guess ˌse-kᵊŋ-ˈges How to pronounce second-guess (audio)
-kən(d)-
second-guessed; second-guessing; second-guesses

transitive verb

1
: to criticize or question actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known
meet almost every morning and, over coffee, second-guess the local coachBruce Newman
also : to engage in such criticism of (an action or decision)
second-guess the general's strategy
2
: to seek to anticipate or predict
lived royally by his ability to second-guess the stock marketTime
second-guesser noun

Examples of second-guess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No other team in the playoff has been more second-guessed than the Buckeyes after their regular season ended with a stunning home loss to rival Michigan, which was a 20-point underdog. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024 However, that doesn’t mean people can’t try to second-guess some aspects of the likely functionality. Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 However, this same discretion, the court added, shields the agency's decisions from being second-guessed by the courts​. Jesus Mesa, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 This system, which uses hundreds of thousands of details to classify targets as hostile, is too sophisticated to second-guess when decisions must be made in minutes or seconds. Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for second-guess 

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of second-guess was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near second-guess

Cite this Entry

“Second-guess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-guess. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

second-guess

verb
sec·​ond-guess
ˌsek-ᵊŋ-ˈges,
-ən-
1
: to question or criticize actions or decisions of (someone) often after the results of those actions or decisions are known
2
second-guesser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on second-guess

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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