guesses 1 of 2

Definition of guessesnext
present tense third-person singular of guess

guesses

2 of 2

noun

plural of guess
as in theories
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence if you don't know the answer for sure, just make a guess

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 guesses
Verb
The panel picks up on the baseball-heavy clues, and guesses accordingly. Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026 The team or person who guesses the most songs correctly wins. Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025 Whoever guesses the suspect and motive with the most accuracy receives a cash prize. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025 Paul Tan guesses it might be offered elsewhere with a range of diesel powertrains, and perhaps those will bring a bit more grunt. New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2025 Mackay guesses the center will be able to begin enrolling officers’ children by mid-summer 2025. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2025 The novel immerses the reader in the world of a Carpathian village in the 1970s, where the main character Darusya lives, whom the locals consider mute and mentally retarded due to attacks of headaches, although none of them guesses the true reasons for her behavior and defiance. Nelly Klos september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025 The card Arisu selects is revealed to be a Joker, but Arisu correctly guesses that both cards were a Joker. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 After Friday, one guesses the demands will grow louder. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
But these are just guesses, not official explanations. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026 Prior Greenland bids The lowest guesses come from a direct comparison with history. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026 The first of our weekly Bracket Watch submissions, and the first since the annual preseason guess bracket, is an opportunity to see just how wrong (or right) those guesses were. Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026 But conclusions are guesses, not guides. Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026 Those are all good guesses, because who else would carry that amount of cash in a shoebox and wait on a main street to hand it over to a complete stranger? Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026 More massive black holes have been claimed, but the authors of the new research pointed out that those other black holes had their masses measured indirectly, so their masses are just guesses. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025 The team with the most correct guesses wins. Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025 But experts stress that until China releases more details, independent efforts to assess the project can only be based on best guesses. Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guesses
Verb
  • Yet his rhetoric assumes that Jewish identity is synonymous with privilege, that Jewish concerns are secondary — or suspect.
    David Moore, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The literary record assumes the same.
    Dan Turello, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Without the tax credits, premiums for ACA enrollees who previously relied on the subsidies will increase by an average of 114%, estimates KFF, a nonprofit provider of health policy news and research.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
  • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages Texas’ power grid, currently estimates energy demand will surge 71% by 2031 due to data center growth.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Alex LeBrun, cofounder of medical scribe startup Nabla who LeCun hired to be the CEO of Advanced Machine Intelligence, thinks the startup’s new AI models could start to roll out in a year, with healthcare a major focus area.
    Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Liu thinks of warm minimalism as a lighter expression of traditional design, one that follows core principles but pares back selections.
    Mary Grace Granados Special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Those are, indeed, pat, credible theories and predictions.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
  • But now, in the planet’s capital city of Apperax, a murder is committed with no suspects, forensics or theories.
    Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Silveri also suspects that some consumer trends may be helping more people cut back.
    Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Anyone in Oakland County who suspects an animal is being abused or mistreated is asked to call Animal Control at 248-858-1090.
    Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Caldwell, who joined the organization on a 10-year deal, also noted the team hopes to work with the city to remain in downtown Minneapolis amid its early efforts to build a new arena, which figures to be a lengthy process expected to take at least five years, and likely more.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Then there’s quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who has generated three head coaching interviews and also figures to be a popular request for offensive coordinator vacancies.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This is doubly useful because the therapist can inspect what the AI actually said and compare that to what the client believes the AI indicated.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
  • As robots move closer to human environments, Microsoft believes adaptability will define their success.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • For one thing, Kontsevich is known for taking a high-level approach to mathematics, preferring to pose ambitious conjectures and sketch out broad programs, often leaving the subtler details and formal proof-writing to others.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
  • With few clear signals about who has influence and how decisions are made, the halls of power in Beijing are fertile ground for political conjectures.
    DENG YUWEN, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guesses. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on guesses

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!