pondered

verb

past tense of ponder
as in contemplated
to give serious and careful thought to I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pondered In a July 2025 text chain, an agent pondered whether facial recognition tools could be used to identify people on TikTok who admitted to being in the country illegally. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 In a July interview with Rolling Stone, Foreman pondered why his story went viral. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2026 SerpApi’s right to defend open web, expert says Beyond its own customers, people invested in the open web have also pondered what the impact of a Google win could be, SerpApi suggested. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026 Not bad considering national media hasn’t pondered them all season besides suggesting another player be traded away. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Last week began in a slump as investors pondered whether memory chip maker Micron would show sustained demand in its earnings report. — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Plunkett, with the Norman Rockwell Museum, pondered whether Americans viewing the painting today would find a familiar feeling. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Season 2 continues this thread, and Hely pondered the sense of exhaustion about living in this corporate world. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 25 June 2026 Later, Neill pondered whether he might be considered a victim of abuse due to the Polish director’s practices. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondered
  1. contemplated
  2. debated
  3. considered
  4. studied
  5. entertained
  6. questioned
  7. weighed
  8. explored
Verb
  • Even in the midst of this global struggle, Roosevelt contemplated the future and envisioned the critical role that a new United Nations might play.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The five trusts also contemplated that two-thirds of the children could vote to terminate a trust.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplated
Verb
  • But scientists have debated what causes electrons to pair up and produce the effect.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The reasons why Itauma reached such a point of exhaustion after eight rounds have been debated endlessly since Saturday.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of debated
Verb
  • At its last meeting, some RBA board members had considered the case for additional tightening, saying that inflation in the country was still too high.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout the summer, several players were considered, to varying degrees of seriousness.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of considered
Verb
  • Peyton Stewart was a 21-year-old international business major who grew up with her sister in Westwood, New Jersey, studied abroad in London and interned at TikTok.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • On the other end of the spectrum is Texas Tech University, where researchers have studied the potential performance benefits of energy drinks.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of studied
Verb
  • Yes; families are clearly the property's sweet spot, thanks to extensive kids programming, multiple pools, and a schedule of activities that keeps younger travelers entertained from morning until night.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Borden entertained O’Neil and other actors at her Maplecroft mansion in Fall River.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertained
Verb
  • The experts also questioned whether Harry and Meghan are equally invested in making Britain a permanent home.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Bass campaign’s decision came after The Times questioned whether the donations might run afoul of a city law that restricts campaign contributions by city contractors.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of questioned
Verb
  • But baby Faye arrived seven weeks premature and weighed just 3 pounds, 15 ounces.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Standing 13-feet-tall at the hip and measuring upwards of 43-feet-long, the Late Cretaceous hunter weighed as much as 19,500 pounds.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of weighed
Verb
  • Somewhere in the middle were Arsenal, who explored making an offer for Alvarez while the situation was reaching its most arresting peak, with the 26-year-old striker roundly jeered by his own supporters at Atletico’s ground.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mice on semaglutide explored more, balanced longer on a rotating rod, ran farther on a treadmill and solved a maze faster—gains that held even after the researchers accounted for the animals just being leaner than their peers.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of explored

Browse Nearby Words

ponderable
pondered
pondering
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Cite this Entry

“Pondered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondered. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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