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
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
Researchers pondered what the gargantuan black hole consumed to release such a powerful flare.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
The Athletic’s Mike Jones recently wondered if Miami had to go on a postseason run to save McDaniel’s job, and CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz pondered during the Chiefs-Raiders game whether there would soon be news out of Miami.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
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
Researchers pondered what the gargantuan black hole consumed to release such a powerful flare.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
The Athletic’s Mike Jones recently wondered if Miami had to go on a postseason run to save McDaniel’s job, and CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz pondered during the Chiefs-Raiders game whether there would soon be news out of Miami.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondered
Verb
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According to the governor’s office, the original design of the project contemplated the demolition of the synagogue on the One Brooklyn Health System campus, but following intervention from Hochul, the synagogue’s demolition has been removed from the plans for affordable housing.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
-
One of the scenarios being contemplated is that only two-thirds or a majority of that number would need to turn out.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pinspark Lounge Set While demands for dressing better for air travel have been hotly debated, one way to stay off the radar for the style critics is with a simple tracksuit.—
Carin Ryan,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
-
It is set to be debated, along with several other amendments that have been filed by senators for Brownsberger’s property tax shock bill, at Thursday’s session.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Before the Refugio oil spill, the pipelines under All Plains were considered intrastate because the previous owner filed tariffs with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Harbaugh is considered by many to be the top candidate for multiple teams following his 18-year tenure leading the Ravens.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Having designed dozens of homes and studied many more, interior designers become accustomed to spotting some of the same home accessories over and over again.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Medieval Europeans moved to England consistently A press release by the University of Cambridge continued that researchers studied more than 700 chemical signatures from the teeth of people buried in England between AD 400 and 1100.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Mirren played Georgia, the wife of crime boss Albert Spica (Michael Gambon), who comes to La Hollandaise to be entertained every night.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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First opened in 1994, Atlantis set the tone for mega-resorts for travelers seeking the comforts of full service experience, alongside a myriad of ways to keep kids entertained.—
Kristin Braswell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the wake of the explosion, experts have questioned whether local authorities and PG&E, which has a troubled history of gas-safety incidents, took the appropriate steps to keep residents safe, including telling people to leave the area after the leak was discovered.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
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One person questioned the need for an eight-story building, which will be the tallest in downtown Oceanside.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The sheriff’s office voluntarily released some documents and video to Cal-OSHA amid late-December court hearings that weighed the sheriff’s request to reject the subpoenas for interviews and documents against Cal-OSHA’s request to uphold them.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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In doing so, the Cuban government creates a harmful imbalance in how these two dimensions are described and weighed.—
Ricardo Torres,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Isola and others explored one such training scheme in a recent paper.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
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Through a series of interviews with longtime KC residents such as Alvin Brooks, Banks explored the history and future of Dunbar, once a vibrant neighborhood.—
Mara Williams,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondered. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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