as in deriving
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
we can extrapolate from past economic recessions the probable course of the current one
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Recent Examples of extrapolating
Big data models learn by copying existing actions—how to fold clothes, write a dissertation, or create a video of a pig hoverboarding through space—by parsing previous examples and extrapolating similar behavior.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Upcoming Reports While college officials will be heartened by these data, they should be interpreted cautiously, particularly when extrapolating to what total applicant volume might look like by the end of the admission cycle.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Noise around some assumptions used to plug missing data from the government shutdown kept investors from extrapolating too much from the benign reading.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
How Fasting Affects Gut Hormones Scientists can glean some insight into what happens to the gut during these big meals by extrapolating data from fasting research.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2025
Investors may imply excessive aggregate revenue and profit gains by extrapolating the stunning earnings growth achievable by individual companies across all potential winners.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025
To set the record straight, Mosconi notes that extrapolating the research to mean the brain eats itself during menopause is incorrect.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Nov. 2025
Near the end of the novel, David imagines Giovanni’s murder of Guillaume, extrapolating from the details breathlessly reported in the press.
—Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
That figure is currently just above 50%, extrapolating from available data.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Upcoming Reports While college officials will be heartened by these data, they should be interpreted cautiously, particularly when extrapolating to what total applicant volume might look like by the end of the admission cycle.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Noise around some assumptions used to plug missing data from the government shutdown kept investors from extrapolating too much from the benign reading.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
How Fasting Affects Gut Hormones Scientists can glean some insight into what happens to the gut during these big meals by extrapolating data from fasting research.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2025
Investors may imply excessive aggregate revenue and profit gains by extrapolating the stunning earnings growth achievable by individual companies across all potential winners.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025
To set the record straight, Mosconi notes that extrapolating the research to mean the brain eats itself during menopause is incorrect.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Nov. 2025
Near the end of the novel, David imagines Giovanni’s murder of Guillaume, extrapolating from the details breathlessly reported in the press.
—Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
That figure is currently just above 50%, extrapolating from available data.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extrapolating
Verb
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The very legitimacy of deriving general principles from the particulars of experience can never be established from experience without already having the principle in hand.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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Large language models represent the first technology capable of analyzing, contextualizing and deriving insights from this avalanche of information.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An easy place to start is by understanding warm and cool colors, which have different attributes.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
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Hetzel’s contributions to the documentation and preservation of Imperial County history cannot be understated, acting as a valuable resource into understanding the truth of county infrastructure, development and industry.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Denver’s return from the bye week in Washington was anything but pretty defensively until Nik Bonitto made one of the plays of the season, batting down a deciding two-point conversion attempt in overtime and sealing the Broncos’ eighth straight win.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of course, not all airports serve the same destinations, and differences in travel time and parking fees should be considered when deciding which airport to depart from.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extrapolating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extrapolating. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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