question mark

noun

1
a
: something unknown, unknowable, or uncertain
b
: someone (such as an athlete) whose condition, talent, or potential for success is in doubt
2
: a mark ? used in writing and printing at the conclusion of a sentence to indicate a direct question

Examples of question mark in a Sentence

The team's pitching is a big question mark this season.
Recent Examples on the Web The string of losses, and Trump's mounting delegate lead, put serious question marks over Haley's path forward in the Republican primary. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Instead of a name, there were question marks over the video clip. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 With the playoffs out of reach, and with an incoming draft class that has numerous question marks hovering over it, how should the Pistons proceed with the rest of the season? Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 That leaves some question marks on the defensive front. C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024 While center Bradley Bozeman and right tackle Taylor Moton appear to be solid fits for what Canales did in Tampa Bay, the guard spots have some question marks. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2024 Equally, a question mark hangs over whether people will abandon the relatively freer and more cosmopolitan Dubai to move there. Zainab Fattah, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024 The question marks stemming from the hot inflation reading caused the probability of a Federal Reserve rate cut in May to plunge to less than 30%. Bill Stone, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 That’s a big question mark, as radio programmers, like many others in the music industry, are still reeling from the shock of her surprise release the night of the Super Bowl, with no apparent plan yet in place to immediately give the tune a promotional push at the format. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'question mark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of question mark was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near question mark

Cite this Entry

“Question mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/question%20mark. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

question mark

noun
: a punctuation mark ? used chiefly at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question

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