Meanings
- figurativelyidiomaticUnder close scrutiny or examination.
Our people get beat on so much, and because we are under the microscope, it is good for us once in a while to understand that VA folks are really great people and they are trying to do their job and they are very compassionate.
1994, United States, Congress, House, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies, Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations for 1995, Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, Second Session, Part 1, page 120Synonyms: under the loupe, under the magnifying glass, under the spotlight
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see under, the, microscope.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbUnder close scrutiny or examination.
Translations
Bulgarian под лупа
- под лупа (pod lupa)under close scrutiny
Greek στο μικροσκόπιο, κάτω από το μικροσκόπιο
- στο μικροσκόπιο (sto mikroskópio)under close scrutiny
- κάτω από το μικροσκόπιο (káto apó to mikroskópio)under close scrutiny
Polish pod lupę
- pod lupęunder close scrutiny
Swedish under luppen
- under luppenunder close scrutiny
Cite this entry
under the microscope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20microscope
“under the microscope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20microscope. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “under the microscope,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20microscope.
Source: under the microscope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.