as in speculation
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guessing
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
But with these, there was no second-guessing needed.
—Sydney Pulaski, Glamour, 8 May 2026
But debating such topics is the lifeblood of the draft, which manufactures would-be experts for the kind of second-guessing that helps fuel rampant and often inaccurate speculation.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
The guessing or thinking something through was part of the fun.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Advanced Account Security works by making a user’s account resistant to phishing messages, password guessing, and SIM swap attacks, which is how hackers usually crack online accounts.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
This saves a frustrating guessing game during reinstallation — especially in homes where windows look similar but vary slightly in size.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
By the afternoon, your confidence grows — no more second-guessing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Even the smartest energy insiders on the planet are now doing a fair bit of guessing.
—Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The Industrialization of Financial Crime Scammers no longer sit in isolation, guessing passwords or stealing physical credit cards.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 11 May 2026
He’s not officially exhausted, but here’s guessing his whole body is tired.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
First, since no one actually knows the future, guessing, speculating, or simply making things up remains the state of the art for almost everyone involved in describing it.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
But here’s guessing the NFL moves the game to prime time in the hopes of getting an even bigger number of viewers.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
The parlor game of guessing who would win the various awards, often played at the Biennale’s cocktail parties and late dinners?
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
Because presidents have never previously used this authority to circumvent the Clean Air Act, industries were left guessing how to make the request, experts said.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
Leave curb-appeal gawkers guessing with a DIY trash bin enclosure with a planter top.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Noun
And by then, finding the source can become an expensive guessing game.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
But with these, there was no second-guessing needed.
—Sydney Pulaski, Glamour, 8 May 2026
But debating such topics is the lifeblood of the draft, which manufactures would-be experts for the kind of second-guessing that helps fuel rampant and often inaccurate speculation.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
The guessing or thinking something through was part of the fun.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Advanced Account Security works by making a user’s account resistant to phishing messages, password guessing, and SIM swap attacks, which is how hackers usually crack online accounts.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
This saves a frustrating guessing game during reinstallation — especially in homes where windows look similar but vary slightly in size.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
By the afternoon, your confidence grows — no more second-guessing.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Even the smartest energy insiders on the planet are now doing a fair bit of guessing.
—Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
The show kept audiences guessing all summer long until, at the beginning of season 10, it was revealed that the entirety of season nine was Pam's dream.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The Industrialization of Financial Crime Scammers no longer sit in isolation, guessing passwords or stealing physical credit cards.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 11 May 2026
He’s not officially exhausted, but here’s guessing his whole body is tired.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
First, since no one actually knows the future, guessing, speculating, or simply making things up remains the state of the art for almost everyone involved in describing it.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
But here’s guessing the NFL moves the game to prime time in the hopes of getting an even bigger number of viewers.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
The parlor game of guessing who would win the various awards, often played at the Biennale’s cocktail parties and late dinners?
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
Because presidents have never previously used this authority to circumvent the Clean Air Act, industries were left guessing how to make the request, experts said.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 8 May 2026
Leave curb-appeal gawkers guessing with a DIY trash bin enclosure with a planter top.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guessing
Noun
-
And that’s a matter of speculation.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Your company went through major layoffs in 2024 and sold off about a third of its TV station portfolio for $171 million last year, sparking speculation about a cash crunch for your businesses with the decline of linear TV.—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
One defendant is accused of assuming the identity of at least four residents in Maryland with the fraudulent intent to obtain payments valued at over $1,500 that were disbursed from the state’s Medicaid program.—
Brendan Nordstrom,
Baltimore Sun,
11 May 2026
-
The diagrams of passengers pulling out floatation devices and assuming crash position were presented with a crisp, legible aesthetic similar to the look of Ikezoe’s paintings.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The park is home to around 1,000 black bears and grizzlies, with park officials estimating that about 300 grizzly bears were inhabiting the area in 2023.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
The scientists were inspired by Bayesian experimental design, in which researchers interpret decision-making by estimating the likelihoods of events given prior assumptions.—
Peter Hall,
Scientific American,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Shaina Montiel says her mother stills cries thinking about her harrowing experience with hantavirus at age 5, which, according to the CDC, can have a fatality rate up to 38%, depending on the type of syndrome caused by it.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Mathematicians spend most of their time thinking about what’s knowable.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
But with the arrival of the next course, bread and butter, I was forced to revise my theory.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
The landfill theory made some birding enthusiasts uneasy and prompted some authorities, locals and others to defend Ushuaia, a city of nearly 85,000 that draws tourists to its Antarctic cruise ships and abundant, watchworthy bird population.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Invitees were hoping and suspecting McCartney might pop in for a wave or a comment before or after the listening session.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 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,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hannah Neeleman and her husband, Daniel, look like average beaming newlyweds, young parents fake-posing with margaritas and figuring things out.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
The defensive effort and quality has been extraordinary, but that’s never before stopped Brunson from figuring it out over the course of a playoff series.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some portion of eligible people are probably discouraged from applying at all, believing the lottery system to be rigged or pointless.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Relatives said that Torres has not answered calls and texts, believing that his family would discourage him from making the Miami trip, the outlet reported.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guessing. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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