as in speculation
Related Words
Relevance
1
as in assuming
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
though she does not speak with an accent, I would still guess that she is a foreigner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in estimating
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
I would guess the road goes for about two miles before you have to take a left
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in thinking
to have as an opinion
I never would have guessed that she was capable of such a terrible thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 guessing
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Say goodbye to the hesitation and the second-guessing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
No guessing, no buying random products because someone on Instagram told you to.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Like the northern lights, comet visibility is a big guessing game.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
That's a lot of hemming and hawing, a lot of second- and triple-guessing, and a bevy of rewatches to gauge the worthiness of being part of a historically significant canon.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
For both players, there was no second-guessing.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Guerin and his staff received their share of second-guessing for roster decisions, such as leaving some top American goal scorers off the team, including Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Serial killers have played peek-a-boo guessing games with investigators, and the names and whereabouts of some of their victims are never to be known.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
No prizes for guessing the color.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
The real turning point came later, when the group started guessing what the final bill might be.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
So instead of guessing or relying purely on theory, scientists can now directly measure how entangled a material is—an essential step for designing better quantum devices.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
Carpenter kept fans guessing with surprise cameos during the performance.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
People investing their money may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
This involved looking around the restaurant and guessing the names of some of the patrons.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
There is a famous idea that large groups can be good at guessing simple things, like — like the weight of a bull.
—Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
There’s a new wrinkle in the ongoing guessing game of where and when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting married.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Say goodbye to the hesitation and the second-guessing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
No guessing, no buying random products because someone on Instagram told you to.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Like the northern lights, comet visibility is a big guessing game.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
That's a lot of hemming and hawing, a lot of second- and triple-guessing, and a bevy of rewatches to gauge the worthiness of being part of a historically significant canon.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
For both players, there was no second-guessing.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Guerin and his staff received their share of second-guessing for roster decisions, such as leaving some top American goal scorers off the team, including Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Serial killers have played peek-a-boo guessing games with investigators, and the names and whereabouts of some of their victims are never to be known.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
Here’s guessing Jackson, an independent spirit, was never quite locked in.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
No prizes for guessing the color.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
The real turning point came later, when the group started guessing what the final bill might be.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
So instead of guessing or relying purely on theory, scientists can now directly measure how entangled a material is—an essential step for designing better quantum devices.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
Carpenter kept fans guessing with surprise cameos during the performance.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
People investing their money may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
This involved looking around the restaurant and guessing the names of some of the patrons.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
There is a famous idea that large groups can be good at guessing simple things, like — like the weight of a bull.
—Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guessing
Noun
-
The story was based on an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts and led to speculation about Robinson's possible exoneration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
From the moment Nancy Guthrie disappeared, people started speculating about what might have happened, and some of that speculation centered on Savanah’s sister Annie and her husband.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The operation triggered a political shift in Caracas, with then–Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assuming power and moving to rebuild energy ties with Washington.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Currently, there are 108 IONNA locations operational with 375 NACS and 658 CCS plugs, assuming the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator remains a reliable resource.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Boerboels are known for having one of the strongest bite forces in the canine world, with tests estimating their bite pressure at roughly 500 to 800 PSI (pounds per square inch).—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Visual effects and postproduction work are seen as most vulnerable to the technology, with one study in early 2024 of nearly 300 leaders across the industry estimating that more than 200,000 positions will be eliminated over the next three years.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Students might consider this a case of simply looking up information—which a majority of them rate as the most helpful and acceptable use of LLMs in surveys—but typing a question and relaying the response is not the same as thinking about it.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Sánchez, however, seems to be thinking long-term.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In theory, this could be a standard beauty modification, like Ingres tossing a few extra vertebrae into a naked back.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But the general idea is that there is a lot of stuff in the universe that is not the familiar matter that we are made of, and there are theories in which this stuff is not entirely benign.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Surely seventh-graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Zendaya and her film audience still seem to be figuring that out.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Take your time figuring yourself out.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Brooke Sutton / Getty Images The pair allegedly used fake personal financial and bank statements, driver's licenses, and Secretary of State documents in an attempt to trick lenders into believing that the loans were for companies owned by the players.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The two women fall in love, believing their solitary life in the woods is the best place to conceal their love.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guessing. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
