as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles
the dentist was in the habit of mulling the mercury amalgam in the palm of his hand
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Recent Examples of mulling
Senior Kurdish leaders denied having made any ground incursion into Iran thus far, but several outlets reported that Iranian Kurdish groups were in talks with Washington, which is mulling arming the militias in order to help overthrow Iran’s leadership.
—
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Khloé Kardashian is mulling over the possibility of expanding her family.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
According to the insider mulling the gay-tennis book, his development team is already approaching existing and forthcoming books differently as a result of Crave’s success.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Every president treats the State of the Union as a chance to highlight their wins, less a venue for mulling over controversies or losses.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Last August, Bloomberg reported that Shein was mulling moving its headquarters back to China to bump up its odds.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Brockman writes in one entry, according to court documents, mulling over his goals and potential for the company.
—Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
With Taylor Decker mulling retirement, the hope is that the Lions receive an answer before the start of the new league year on March 11.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Reid on Friday said Kelce, who is 36 and mulling retirement, has remained in contact with the club.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2026
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Khloé Kardashian is mulling over the possibility of expanding her family.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
According to the insider mulling the gay-tennis book, his development team is already approaching existing and forthcoming books differently as a result of Crave’s success.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Every president treats the State of the Union as a chance to highlight their wins, less a venue for mulling over controversies or losses.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Last August, Bloomberg reported that Shein was mulling moving its headquarters back to China to bump up its odds.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Brockman writes in one entry, according to court documents, mulling over his goals and potential for the company.
—Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
With Taylor Decker mulling retirement, the hope is that the Lions receive an answer before the start of the new league year on March 11.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Reid on Friday said Kelce, who is 36 and mulling retirement, has remained in contact with the club.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mulling
Verb
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Those declines reflect a long list of new questions facing the business world — from the cost of oil coming out of the Middle East and supply chain disruptions to consumer confidence and the grinding uncertainty.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
3 Mar. 2026
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But Ejiofor remained patient, grinding behind the scenes to prepare for his opportunity.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Just around the corner from Cheryl Schulz’s ice cream shop in downtown Noblesville, there’s pounding noises that could only come from heavy construction machinery.—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Drone footage captured the heart-pounding rescue on camera.—
Cameron Harrison,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the material appears to shift from soft to hard, the outward and downward movements of the tubes no longer suggest the gentle pressure of filling and escaping air, but imply a decidedly more violent bending and crushing of metal, as if the tubes had been pushed out of shape against their will.—
Gordon Hughes,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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But in 2015, a company started repurposing the slag by breaking the rock apart and crushing it down to make sandy material for industrial uses.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gonzales was struggling to hold his 23rd District even before the scandal, barely beating 2nd Amendment activist and content creator Brandon Herrera in 2024; Herrera is running again, along with Quico Canseco, a one-term congressman who’s made multiple comeback attempts.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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The Lakers’ 41-year-old star buried three 3-pointers in the second half, the first one beating the third-quarter buzzer for a 96-76 lead.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mulling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mulling. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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