extrapolate
verb
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The Many Uses of Extrapolate
Scientists worry about the greenhouse effect because they have extrapolated the rate of carbon-dioxide buildup and predicted that its effect on the atmosphere will become increasingly severe. On the basis of their extrapolations, they have urged governments and businesses to limit factory and automobile emissions. Notice that it's acceptable to speak of extrapolating existing data (to produce new data), extrapolating from existing data (to produce new data), or extrapolating new data (from existing data)—in other words, it isn't easy to use this word wrong.
Examples of extrapolate in a Sentence
Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Investors then try to look out and extrapolate what the next few months might look like based on that cadence.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Last year, Ben-Yami published a paper intended as a direct response to the Ditlevsens’ claim, arguing that the uncertainties in the historical data were too great to extrapolate meaningful predictions of the AMOC’s future.
—Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
The point is extrapolating anything from the NFL in September is foolish.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extrapolate
Cite this Entry
“Extrapolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extrapolate. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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extrapolate
verb
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