as in theory
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1
as in envisioning
to form a mental picture of
she was determined to have the wedding that she had always imagined
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in thinking
to have as an opinion
I imagine that's true, but you still have to prove it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in guessing
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
I imagine things will change rapidly once we begin
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imagining
Jackson Howard, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Maul is a dirtier, grungier imagining of the Star Wars universe, leaning into the darker moments of shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
But Love Story offers its condemnations without seeming to wonder whether a work of semi-fiction—a full-scale imagining of two people’s lives—is a paparazzo by other means.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
And in unassuming buildings scattered across Los Angeles, a reiterative imagining of community theater would continue, one Thursday night at a time.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The museum’s Sunday conversation series, created in partnership with the Othering & Belonging Institute, is set to explore the topic of radical public imagining.
—Anne Schrager, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Jan. 2026
For contestants on Jeopardy's Ultimate Tournament of Champions in 2005, no imagining was needed.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
If the poem were merely a wish that the world is like this, a pretty imagining, then to hell with it.
—Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Guy Ritchie‘s re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes has its first teaser trailer.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Hannah Kerman, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
And looking at things from different angles and imagining different outcomes is a social worker skill that helps me as a fiction writer.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
With a blend of atmospheric beatmaking, gauzy harmonies, and impressionistic songwriting, Quiet Light’s music casts a distinct spell, like stumbling upon Imogen Heap in a forest clearing or imagining a Taylor Swift album produced by Harold Budd.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The 61st event takes place at the 1907 Baldwin Oaks Estate in Arcadia with 28 Los Angeles area designers re-imagining interior spaces and gardens, through May 17.
—Holly Andres, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Like imagining myself as a character in a novel, for example.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026
For parents, that also means imagining a different life for their kids.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Chess puzzles–where players try to solve potential move sequences — require imagining pieces in different positions, a form of mental gymnastics that keeps the brain engaged and active.
—Sara Hansen, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Victor Glover described peering at the long shadows of the lunar terminator through a telephoto lens and suddenly feeling transported down to that airless, forbidding landscape and imagining himself off-road driving among jagged peaks.
—Andrew Chaikin, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Full Moon isn’t all force; in Brandy’s imagining, the record would serve as an exploration of an entire relationship, and fittingly the love songs here shine.
—Jackson Howard, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Maul is a dirtier, grungier imagining of the Star Wars universe, leaning into the darker moments of shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
But Love Story offers its condemnations without seeming to wonder whether a work of semi-fiction—a full-scale imagining of two people’s lives—is a paparazzo by other means.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
And in unassuming buildings scattered across Los Angeles, a reiterative imagining of community theater would continue, one Thursday night at a time.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The museum’s Sunday conversation series, created in partnership with the Othering & Belonging Institute, is set to explore the topic of radical public imagining.
—Anne Schrager, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Jan. 2026
For contestants on Jeopardy's Ultimate Tournament of Champions in 2005, no imagining was needed.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
If the poem were merely a wish that the world is like this, a pretty imagining, then to hell with it.
—Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Guy Ritchie‘s re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes has its first teaser trailer.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
But dismantling polluting industries, trying to clean up our air and our water, and imagining a health care system not driven by profit would take coordinated, radical restructuring.
—Hannah Kerman, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
And looking at things from different angles and imagining different outcomes is a social worker skill that helps me as a fiction writer.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
With a blend of atmospheric beatmaking, gauzy harmonies, and impressionistic songwriting, Quiet Light’s music casts a distinct spell, like stumbling upon Imogen Heap in a forest clearing or imagining a Taylor Swift album produced by Harold Budd.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
The 61st event takes place at the 1907 Baldwin Oaks Estate in Arcadia with 28 Los Angeles area designers re-imagining interior spaces and gardens, through May 17.
—Holly Andres, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Like imagining myself as a character in a novel, for example.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026
For parents, that also means imagining a different life for their kids.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Chess puzzles–where players try to solve potential move sequences — require imagining pieces in different positions, a form of mental gymnastics that keeps the brain engaged and active.
—Sara Hansen, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Victor Glover described peering at the long shadows of the lunar terminator through a telephoto lens and suddenly feeling transported down to that airless, forbidding landscape and imagining himself off-road driving among jagged peaks.
—Andrew Chaikin, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imagining
Noun
-
Stirs some theories, too, about said coach’s real feelings about the pick.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In a new book, Geoff Kelly traces how the artworks moved through criminal networks, where violence took the lives of key suspects and witnesses, and challenges long-circulating theories by revisiting key details.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1866, Howells had been able to recognize the connection between ending slavery, envisioning equality, and the broadest expression of the American idea.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But reflection on those few hours of celebration — that wild scramble to enjoy the moment, yet hurry to get everyone ready to go home — left the Dodgers envisioning one of the few things this contemporary dynasty has yet to accomplish.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Boston fans can start thinking about the second round.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
And Kibu is hardly the only company thinking about how to achieve ideal ID verification.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Forty-eight hours before Pearlman was guessing the name of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s unborn daughter, back on Hollywood Boulevard, Kimmel downshifted from Donald to Melania.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over time, this creates a foundation for a feedback loop in which incentive programs can be designed and optimized based on measurable outcomes rather than assumptions.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The important thing is that infinity is no longer the default assumption.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Like many abstract artists before her, Colón, who was born in Canada to a Puerto Rican father and now lives in Los Angeles, is enamored of picturing the world in its most fundamental form, and maybe even evoking something like the universal.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Caring about future generations means believing that people who will live decades or centuries from now deserve ethical consideration.—
Stylianos Syropoulos,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Like the narrator in the song who’s become bored with his attractive partner, Presley spent several years believing that his relationship with music had lost its spark.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With a razor-thin majority, the Speaker can afford to lose only two GOP votes on any party-line bill, assuming that all members are present and Democrats are united in opposition.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Providers also can fall victim to inadvertent bias, assuming a young, otherwise healthy patient must be dealing with something other than shingles.—
Alyssa Sparacino,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imagining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imagining. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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