1
as in to ponder
to give serious and careful thought to
she contemplated the problem for several hours before reaching a decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intend
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
he waited patiently, contemplating revenge all the while
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemplate
Hadn’t really contemplated it — was doing a bunch of other things.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
This flood of cheap Chinese goods has squeezed manufacturers among trading partners from Mexico to Europe, which have begun contemplating protective measures.
—Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
This requires a set of skills to interrogate the past by probing deeply, constructing and reconstructing chronologies, and contemplating counterfactuals in which different decisions might have significantly altered subsequent events.
—John T. Shaw, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
Inside, Archimedes begins contemplating the Universe beyond the Earth, and starts recounting various ideas about what its nature could be.
—Big Think, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplate
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
This flood of cheap Chinese goods has squeezed manufacturers among trading partners from Mexico to Europe, which have begun contemplating protective measures.
—Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
This requires a set of skills to interrogate the past by probing deeply, constructing and reconstructing chronologies, and contemplating counterfactuals in which different decisions might have significantly altered subsequent events.
—John T. Shaw, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
Inside, Archimedes begins contemplating the Universe beyond the Earth, and starts recounting various ideas about what its nature could be.
—Big Think, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemplate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplate
Verb
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But the moment is fleeting, as the orchestra strikes back up, the sharp edge is dulled, the curtain falls, and audiences are left to ponder how a show so big could also say so little.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Nov. 2025
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In this bleak economic environment, professionals who have lost their jobs as a result of AI are likely pondering what their next career move should be; whether to transition into a new industry or profession, or how to beef up their arsenal of skills.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The country is now poised to start up a new EV incentive program that goes into effect in January 2026, and is intended to help lower- and middle-income buyers adopt zero tailpipe emission vehicles.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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El Camello has fallen silent, considering what to say next.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The indictment specifically alleges Alcalá, was tasked with coordinating drug-trafficking activities with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a Marxist guerrilla group, considered by Washington to be a terrorist organization that has for decades funded itself via the drug trade.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Every two weeks, three new GCCs are set up in India, and 60% of existing centers plan to expand.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
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Taxing the 1% To fund many of his proposals, Mamdani plans to raise taxes on corporations and wealthy New Yorkers.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, the main living area, featuring one of over four fireplaces throughout the hilltop retreat, provides the perfect setting for entertaining.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
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Since then, fans from around the country have followed the Cowboy fans’ lead to entertain themselves in the waning stages of blowouts.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Some, such as Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto province, hope the rhetoric will prompt the Nigerian government to take more action to address the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Social Security checks under different measures Yet the data suggests that switching to a different COLA measure might not result in the substantial boost to benefits that retirees and other beneficiaries hope to see.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This phenomenon has long been debated in theory, but now the impact can be observed directly across a large population of stars.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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At a conference in 1969, when other physicists were debating the very existence of gravitational waves, Weber presented evidence supporting their direct detection.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Barr’s unconventional campaign, meant to make an argument against gerrymandering producing deeply partisan districts, made national headlines.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
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That means thousands of flights canceled, or in other words, 200,000 fewer seats and butts in the air per day.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemplate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplate. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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