as in anticipations
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence
in expectation of a harsh winter, we budgeted more money than usual for the cost of heating our home
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Recent Examples of expectations
But hopes and dreams are different from expectations.
—
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Against this backdrop, the weight of expectations around Sunday’s budget is rising, with investors hoping for some positive measures to help revive sentiment.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
The survey’s indexes for how Americans feel about current economic conditions and their expectations for the US economy’s future both fell sharply this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
United Parcel Service — The package delivery company gained 3% after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat expectations.
—Christina Cheddar Berk,sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
American Airlines lost 7% after delivering a profit for the end of 2025 that fell well short of analysts’ expectations.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump has repeatedly praised Rodríguez’s administration while also warning that the United States could carry out another military operation if Venezuela’s new leaders fail to meet Washington’s expectations.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Often, traditional behaviors, expectations, and norms on the part of employers, industry, and even their own families hold women back from maximizing their career potential.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
People who had been victims of fraud had higher expectations for verification on both sides of the platform.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Against this backdrop, the weight of expectations around Sunday’s budget is rising, with investors hoping for some positive measures to help revive sentiment.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
The survey’s indexes for how Americans feel about current economic conditions and their expectations for the US economy’s future both fell sharply this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
United Parcel Service — The package delivery company gained 3% after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat expectations.
—Christina Cheddar Berk,sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
American Airlines lost 7% after delivering a profit for the end of 2025 that fell well short of analysts’ expectations.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Trump has repeatedly praised Rodríguez’s administration while also warning that the United States could carry out another military operation if Venezuela’s new leaders fail to meet Washington’s expectations.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Often, traditional behaviors, expectations, and norms on the part of employers, industry, and even their own families hold women back from maximizing their career potential.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
People who had been victims of fraud had higher expectations for verification on both sides of the platform.
—Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectations
anticipations
Noun
-
For traders focused on specific events, having a strong grasp of historical trends can be beneficial, although the results are largely contingent on how the company’s outcomes measure up to market anticipations.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expectations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectations. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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