as in contemplated
to give serious and careful thought to
I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee
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Recent Examples of pondered
Bailey started to consider a return to college basketball in 2025 but has pondered a possible return to the NCAA after he was drafted in 2023, according to the report.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Paul pondered in the latest episode what the Lakers could do to remake their roster and suggested using popular guard Austin Reaves in a potential trade.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement China has long pondered surgical strikes against Taiwan’s leadership, though any such move is likely to be self-defeating, given the island is a sustained democracy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Early in their planning for the trip to Alaska, the couple pondered taking a cruise.
—Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Back in the Baros’ room, the family pondered who would give Drew his first cookie someday.
—Mindy Schauer, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
Through the millennia, some of the top philosophical and mathematical minds of their day turned their attention to the concept, pondered it at length, and inevitably gave it up.
—Big Think, 25 Nov. 2025
An engrossing page-turner that can be casually enjoyed or deeply pondered, the brilliant debut Great Black Hope announces Rob Franklin as an author to watch.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Tight end Adam Trautman took a deep breath and pondered the question posed by a reporter in the postgame locker room Thursday night.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Paul pondered in the latest episode what the Lakers could do to remake their roster and suggested using popular guard Austin Reaves in a potential trade.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement China has long pondered surgical strikes against Taiwan’s leadership, though any such move is likely to be self-defeating, given the island is a sustained democracy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Early in their planning for the trip to Alaska, the couple pondered taking a cruise.
—Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Back in the Baros’ room, the family pondered who would give Drew his first cookie someday.
—Mindy Schauer, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
Through the millennia, some of the top philosophical and mathematical minds of their day turned their attention to the concept, pondered it at length, and inevitably gave it up.
—Big Think, 25 Nov. 2025
An engrossing page-turner that can be casually enjoyed or deeply pondered, the brilliant debut Great Black Hope announces Rob Franklin as an author to watch.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Tight end Adam Trautman took a deep breath and pondered the question posed by a reporter in the postgame locker room Thursday night.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondered
Verb
-
Tsitsipas, who contemplated a future without tennis during his back issues last year, said during a news conference ahead of the tournament.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The area’s natural beauty was such that Merrick contemplated building another Biltmore-sized hotel along the coast.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Responsibility is still debated after harm has occurred.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
While sleep is seen across the animal kingdom, its purpose is still debated.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sette is considered an expert on human T cells, the immune cells that adapt to recognize and fight infections from viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
It is widely considered one of the best games in the series.—
George Yang,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Emma’s parents live in Louisiana, and Emma studied English at Boston University.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps the most revealing analogues are the widespread age restrictions for the purchase and consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis, which are common around the world and have been extensively studied.—
Keith Humphreys,
The Atlantic,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike other game-day snacks like chips or popcorn, where flavors and textures can get a little one-note after a while, ALDI’s Cajun Trail Mix keeps your taste buds entertained with different flavors—salty, sweet, and spicy—and different textures, too.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
-
For families From bingo and splash dodgeball to movie nights and art classes, there’s plenty to keep families entertained.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hypnotists questioned the children who were with Shannon that afternoon.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
While Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told lawmakers on the record the streamer is about a 45-day exclusive theatrical window for movies, many rival studio sources have questioned the streaming boss’ intent.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rani’s newborn son weighed almost eight pounds and had perfect neonatal scores.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) report weighed crime statistics from 40 cities that have reported monthly data for the past eight years.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Certainly, there are other ways in which Teddy and Pine could have explored each other, and decide to work together in that moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
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Reporter Brandon Lingle explored the regulatory quagmire at the site in one of this week's top stories.—
JJ Velasquez,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondered. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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