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
  • Permits are invalid unless they are accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection from an accredited veterinarian indicating that the animal is free of disease.
    Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Swift’s 149-show, five-continent expedition encapsulated a tsunami of emotions not just among her fans, but her own journey through a very public breakup, a fling and, as indicated by her engagement to Kelce, knee-buckling love.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Laughter from the crowd breaks the tension of what could have been understood as metaphor for Netanyahu’s actions.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Plenty of Nashvillians can probably understand the Maxwell House coffee brand’s recent marketing move.
    Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 3 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
  • Others believed Los Angeles should have put the deciding play in quarterback Matthew Stafford's hands.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • When seeking to prosecute someone, a state attorney can file charges against them or choose to present evidence before a grand jury, composed of citizens who then must decide whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment and move to a trial.
    Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Salmon said his counselor suggested his attraction to men was his father’s fault because his job kept him away from home a lot, causing Salmon to identify more with his mother.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
  • That game, a 6-0 win over Peru, was later the subject of an extensive investigation published by the Sunday Times that suggested the game had been fixed.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All three new objects sit in clusters weighing about 100 trillion Suns, hinting that black hole jets colliding with dense cosmic environments may be central to their formation.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Vladimir hints that the pair’s aww camaraderie may not survive another iteration of their Groundhog Day.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infer. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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