scruple

The idea that Saddam would scruple to support al Qaeda seems preposterous even now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025

They were both these outsiders from the boroughs with tremendous life force and ambition with a shared, I think, lack of scruple or ethical core, for whom winning was the only moral measure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024

In the chaotic tangle of dust, horseflesh and steel, finding an unexpected advantage was not difficult for those unyoked from scruple.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024

The pontiff lamented the “poverty into which they are often forced, victims of injustice and the inequality of a throwaway society that hurries past without seeing them and without scruple abandons them to their fate.”

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2021

And he surely would not scruple, even on that day, to be angry at the Lord.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Employees in these movies come to the conclusion their boss lacks scruples, boundaries or the qualifications to have the job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025

Some may have otherwise been stolen by Western visitors with less scruples to be sold on the lucrative European and American artefacts market.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024

At the start of the play, he’s a war hero with conspicuous scruples.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2024

Executives at established tech giants might have their own honest scruples about where all of this is heading.

From Slate ● Nov. 27, 2023

My only hope is that one who flies down a stair rail as beautifully as you do can overcome his scruples in this matter.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Though Antonin fashions himself as a tormented literary protagonist — a scrupled thief and a thwarted artist — he emerges as little more than a posturing, self-pitying millennial unwilling to take charge of his life.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

The extravagance and general profligacy which he scrupled not to lay at Mr. Wickham’s charge, exceedingly shocked her; the more so, as she could bring no proof of its injustice.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

It was a card he would not have scrupled to play.

From The Shadow of the Past by F.E. Mills Young

Thus I have not scrupled to translate, to omit, or to insert matter of my own, according to my judgment.

From St. Peter, His Name and His Office As set forth in holy scripture by Thomas W. Allies

Very rash is he to require my palfrey of me, when he scrupled not to take the sweetness, the beauty and the courtesy with which my demoiselle is endowed.

From Aucassin & Nicolette And Other Mediaeval Romances and Legends by Eugene Mason

With this girl she shared the domestic duties, scrupling not to divide with her the meanest and most rugged, as well as the lightest offices.

From Ormond, Volume I (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Charles Brockden Brown

Richard Baxter, in the seventeenth century, had said of confirmation that, so far from scrupling the true use of it, there was scarce any outward thing in the Church he valued more highly.

From The English Church in the Eighteenth Century by Charles J. (Charles John) Abbey

"His father died a short time since and left him in my care," said the squire, not scrupling to make a misstatement.

From The Young Musician ; Or, Fighting His Way by Horatio Alger

If you can by any means prevail on your Master to release me, I beseech you so to do, not scrupling any thing for Righteousness sake.

From An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews by Conny Keyber

At the same time far be it from me to—hum—to put upon the fine feelings by which my partial friends are actuated, the slight of scrupling to admit that those offerings are—hum—highly acceptable.

From Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens