1
as in pondering
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 planning
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 contemplating
I'mPhaedra Trethan, back after a couple of college visits with my teenager, and contemplating this story over my coffee.
—
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Why did Tara spend hundreds of days contemplating Thomas, hair styles, loneliness?
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Council members also are contemplating charging more for on-street outdoor dining.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 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
With John Cena set to retire, many people are contemplating who his opponent should be in his final match.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 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
Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Why did Tara spend hundreds of days contemplating Thomas, hair styles, loneliness?
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Council members also are contemplating charging more for on-street outdoor dining.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 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
With John Cena set to retire, many people are contemplating who his opponent should be in his final match.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 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
Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplating
Verb
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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
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All the activity on his street Sunday left Smith pondering whether anyone’s safe these days.—
Robb Murray,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The next year, eleven journalists went on to form the White House Correspondents’ Association in response to rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents was planning on selecting which reporters were invited to presidential news conferences.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
-
They had been alerted that Running Fence was planning to enter the ocean despite having no permit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Most teams could use a hitter like Schwarber in the lineup, especially considering how valuable slugging has become in the modern era.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Magistrate Judge Reagan Jameson, who handed down the sentence, noted that the defense and prosecution teams felt the plea deal was the best conclusion to come to, considering the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After the death of his addict father, Ethan heads back to see if there’s any money to be made from selling his home, intending to stay, only briefly, with his aunt Sarah, Metcalf’s character, a Brunhilde of the high prairie.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Combs’ lawyers filed a two-page court document on Monday, October 20 intending to appeal his conviction.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
-
In this Club Check-in, CNBC's Paulina Likos and Zev Fima break down big tech's massive artificial intelligence spending spree — debating whether these billion-dollar bets will drive long-term cost savings or weigh on near-term returns.—
Paulina Likos,Zev Fima,
CNBC,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The British company Lumie, which specializes in modern-looking light-therapy lamps, recently launched the Lumie Dash ($225), a compact, ten-thousand-lux model that comes in friendly colors like terra-cotta and pistachio.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the meantime, the day-to-day work is on us—looking at our money honestly, making strategic moves, and refusing to let an unfair system keep us from building something better for ourselves and the next generation.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
How Palestinian students adapted to studying in a genocide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Mice are often used as models for studying neurological disorders, cancers, and vaccines because of their genetic similarity to humans.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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He was extradited to Pennsylvania for questioning and when he was compelled to testify before a grand jury, Schrader invoked his Fifth Amendment right when asked about Carol Ann Dougherty's murder.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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As America gathers to watch his trial, Jax must contend with an ambitious new colleague, Bill Sterling (Sikora), and co-workers questioning her worth.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemplating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplating. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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