under the microscope
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Under critical examination.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Teleworking ideas under microscope
We all know that we are under the microscope after various events in the past, but I think we can control ourselves’.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “under the microscope” mean?
Under critical examination.
Is “under the microscope” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.