hypothesize

hy·poth·e·size | \ hī-ˈpä-thə-ˌsīz

How to pronounce hypothesize (audio)

\

hypothesized; hypothesizing

Definition of hypothesize

intransitive verb

: to make a hypothesis

transitive verb

: to adopt as a hypothesis

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about hypothesize

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Examples of hypothesize in a Sentence

Psychologists hypothesized that his odd behavior was caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. if we hypothesize that current population trends continue for the next 50 years

Recent Examples on the Web Davis hypothesizes that that's where those early settlers came from. — Leah Asmelash, CNN, "Idaho artifacts show humans came to North America via a water route, not land," 30 Aug. 2019 Lanier said Epstein had once hypothesized that atoms behaved like investors in a marketplace. — Matthew Goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Jeffrey Epstein, surrounded by scientific luminaries, hoped to seed the human race with his DNA," 31 July 2019 One long-standing explanation for this mystery, known as the direct-collapse theory, hypothesizes that ancient black holes somehow got big without the benefit of a supernova. — Meredith Fore, WIRED, "Where Do Supermassive Black Holes Come From?," 18 July 2019 The findings led Karsenty to hypothesize that animals evolved bony skeletons to escape danger. — Emily Underwood, Science | AAAS, "Hormone secreted by bones may help us escape danger," 12 Sep. 2019 For years, scientists hypothesized that conserving at least half of the Earth’s surface in a natural state could help save 90% of species. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "Development devours U.S. natural landscape at rate of 2 football fields per minute, study finds," 6 Aug. 2019 Some cats experts hypothesize that adult cats associate kneading with the comfort observed in kittens nursing to stimulate their mother’s milk. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Does Your Cat Love You? 10 Unique Ways Felines Say Those Three Little Words," 13 June 2019 Some obsessive fans hypothesized that the two women had a confab in Swift’s kitchen based on the marble countertops. — Nardine Saad, latimes.com, "Taylor Swift and Katy Perry declare ‘peace at last’ with cookies," 12 June 2019 Researchers have hypothesized explanations ranging from the prevalence of online pornography to hook-up culture and dating apps. — Matt Levin, The Mercury News, "Nearly 40% of young adult Californians live with their parents. Here’s everything to know about them," 27 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hypothesize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about hypothesize

Dictionary Entries near hypothesize

hypothetical imperative

Statistics for hypothesize

Last Updated

24 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for hypothesize

The first known use of hypothesize was in 1738

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