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
But extrapolating from one sector to the entire economy is a mistake.
—
Omar Abbosh, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Consultants from both parties caution against extrapolating too much from special elections with limited turnout.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
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
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
Omar Abbosh, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Consultants from both parties caution against extrapolating too much from special elections with limited turnout.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
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
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
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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Such initiatives are crucial for understanding how our home star emits radiation, a life-and-death concern for human spaceflight missions — particularly for trips to the moon, as NASA is pursuing with the Artemis program, or Mars.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
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And if moderation within that system is limited, as some argue, then the challenge for policymakers is not simply negotiation, but understanding the ideology that drives it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stars made sacrificial effort plays that could convince most spectators this was a playoff showdown — Jamal Murray diving into the second row to save a loose ball, Aaron Gordon developing a limp then playing through it to guard De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama on game-deciding possessions.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Daily use and care should also be considered when deciding whether to toss or keep.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extrapolating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extrapolating. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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