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deliberating

verb

present participle of deliberate
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to the jury deliberated the case for three days before returning a verdict

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 deliberating Jurors are deliberating White’s federal bribery charges related to his August 2024 arrest by the FBI in Navy Yard. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026 Hauntingly, while the jury in the Clancy case was deliberating, a Will County mother of four was arrested in the hanging death of her 2-year-old son. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 And yet, despite overwhelming evidence that pointed to Lizzie as the killer, a year later, following a high-profile two-week trial, an all-male jury, deliberating for a little more than an hour, decided to acquit her. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 On Friday, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial at Plymouth Superior Court after the jury deliberating whether Clancy was criminally responsible for the strangulation deaths of her three children said it was deadlocked three times. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026 At the time over 1,000 miles away, the jury had been deliberating in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse accused of killing her three children. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 The jury spent a week deliberating in Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where supporters and onlookers gathered outside for days awaiting a possible verdict. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The judge then reread his instructions on reasonable doubt before sending them back to continue deliberating. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 Reddington variously asked the judge either to remove the holdout and replace him with an alternate or to order the jury to continue deliberating. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deliberating
  1. pondering
  2. contemplating
  3. debating
  4. considering
  5. studying
  6. entertaining
  7. questioning
  8. weighing
Verb
  • Newsom, who is pondering a 2028 presidential campaign, and the two men vying to replace him — Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton — oppose it.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the stands, fans murmured beneath their breath, wondering what new math the Kiffin’s successor could be pondering.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of pondering
Verb
  • With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • To meet these goals, the university is contemplating four initiatives to add to its existing piecemeal partnerships.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplating
Verb
  • Murray enlists Ted in a series of mysterious experiments that involve the young man sitting in a room and debating another student.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The conservative activist had been debating students before a crowd of thousands in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by tall buildings and elevated walkways on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of debating
Verb
  • The campaign is demanding that the TV station stop airing the ad in its current form and is considering legal action if no action is taken.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • With plenty to build on considering the way running back Kenneth Walker III’s presence in the backfield is creating crucial dilemmas for opposing defenses that for too long have been able to just predicate everything on stopping Mahomes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of considering
Verb
  • An even smaller slice is allocated for studying treatments for pediatric brain tumors, which are a leading cause of cancer death among children.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The first interpretation — the surface is real — is the most popular among physicists who spend their time studying AdS/CFT.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of studying
Verb
  • Football is putting itself in a bit of jeopardy, allowing people to experience it without caring, entertaining the fantasy and gambling and the social aspect.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The collection also includes bespoke entertaining pieces exclusive to hotel guests, including Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ picnic basket designed for Alessi in 2020.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertaining
Verb
  • In her rebuttal, prosecutor Shanan Buckingham said that this is the first time the court is hearing that Reddington is questioning the evidence.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Designers revisited the skirt, the jacket, the cargo, the biker jacket; questioning their traditional codes and exploring how they can be worn today.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of questioning
Verb
  • With airlines weighing carry-ons more and more now, too, even light packers may want to grab one to avoid being surprised with unexpected baggage fees.
    — Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
  • New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is weighing changes, including the possibility of a smaller playbook, as the Chargers try to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2017.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of weighing

Browse Nearby Words

deliberates
deliberating
deliberation
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Cite this Entry

“Deliberating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deliberating. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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