arouse suspicion

[əˈraʊz səˈspɪʃən]
verb phrase
despertar suspeita; levantar suspeita
1. to cause someone to begin to suspect or doubt something; to make someone feel that something might be wrong, illegal, or dishonest
His sudden wealth aroused suspicion among his neighbors.
Sua riqueza súbita despertou suspeita entre seus vizinhos.
2. to provoke doubt or mistrust about someone's motives or actions
The missing documents aroused suspicion that someone had stolen them.
Os documentos desaparecidos levantaram suspeita de que alguém os tinha roubado.
3. to trigger an investigative response due to questionable behavior or circumstances
Frequent trips to the bank at odd hours aroused the suspicion of the police.
Viagens frequentes ao banco em horas estranhas despertaram a suspeita da polícia.
This phrase is commonly used in both American English and Brazilian Portuguese in legal, investigative, and everyday conversational contexts. In Brazil, it frequently appears in news reports about criminal investigations and business fraud. The phrase carries a neutral to negative connotation and is often used to describe circumstances that trigger official or personal scrutiny.
NYC Slang
raise red flags; get someone's radar up; give someone reason to wonder
Synonyms / Sinônimos
raise suspicionbreed suspicioncast doubtprovoke doubttrigger suspicioninvite suspicion
Antonyms / Antônimos
allay suspiciondispel suspicionease doubtreassureinspire confidence

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
despertar suspeita; levantar suspeita; suscitar suspeita
Most commonly used in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
despertar suspeita; gerar desconfiança
Both expressions are widely understood and used
São Paulo
levantar suspeita; provocar desconfiança
Slightly more formal tone in business contexts
Portugal
despertar suspeita; levantar suspeitas; suscitar dúvida
Similar usage to Brazilian Portuguese with slight preference for plural 'suspeitas'

Related Words

suspicioussuspiciondoubtdistrustskepticismquestionabledubious

Related Idioms & Phrases

raise a red flag
throw up a red flag
look fishy
smell a rat
something doesn't add up
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