Synonym Chooser

How is the word infer distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of infer are conclude, deduce, gather, and judge. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to infer?

In some situations, the words conclude and infer are roughly equivalent. However, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

How are the words deduce and infer related?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

When is gather a more appropriate choice than infer?

While the synonyms gather and infer are close in meaning, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

In what contexts can judge take the place of infer?

The synonyms judge and infer are sometimes interchangeable, but judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of infer William Schabas, one of the world’s most influential authorities on international criminal law, stresses that genocidal intent can be inferred from actions and policies, not only from formal statements. Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 In a Universe with dark energy, a cosmological constant, or the zero-point energy of quantum fields, there’s no reason to infer that the zero-point energy would actually be zero. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025 The Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus challenges AI systems to infer abstract rules from just a few examples. Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025 Our hero, however, is loyal to neither group, a fact that might be inferred from his name, Hicks McTaggart. Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infer
Verb
  • Most originated in Asia and are derived from Paeonia lactiflora.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Reuters reported that membership in the GenZ 212, which derived its name from Morocco’s area code, has soared in recent days—jumping from 3,000 last week to 130,000 on Thursday.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Other bacteria are associated with the breakdown of insect tissues, indicating these were also a part of his diet.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
  • But reports indicate the state could help cover maintenance costs or facilitate a sale.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Here, settler colonialism is understood as a form of environmental injustice, where pollution and degraded landscapes diminish Indigenous quality of life and ability to be in right relationship with the environment.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
  • First, understand what the ruling means.
    Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The most significant jump in imports into Italy was from China, up 18 percent in the period, implying that many fast fashion players are gaining Italians over.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025
  • After praising the male LGBTQIA+ members of their friendship circle, Consuelos then implied a wilder theory about the heterosexual female friends in Ripa's life.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bendicksen, the center’s director of wildlife rehabilitation, decided to attempt something few would consider, a wing transplant.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Timberview decided to go for it on fourth-and-five but was stopped at the Jaguars’ 10-yard line.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Floyd suggests making a day of it.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
  • As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports pointed out, Belichick was busy hitting the recruiting trail during North Carolina's bye week, suggesting the head coach is still looking for talent to help the Tar Heels beyond this season.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But aside from hinting that there might be more gigs in the future, the reliably inscrutable singer did not fall for the bait of follow-up questions and left it at that.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The executive hinted that the collaboration with Arsham, who marked his appointment as Hublot ambassador by carving a large-scale sundial in ice, could continue to evolve further.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infer. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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