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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
  • Nvidia and other chipmakers fell more than 3% as investors contemplated the possibility that frontier labs could deliberately slow model development, and thus the massive infrastructure buildout thus far designed to support it.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • At the southern tip of Key Biscayne, where Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic meet, developers had contemplated ambitious projects for what is now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplated
Verb
  • The proposal was first up for a vote in July, but was postposed twice as board members debated where the additional money might come from.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But whether or not that confession should legally be used to prosecute him has been widely debated.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of debated
Verb
  • Potential Risks of Drinking Green Tea Green tea is generally considered safe and healthy when consumed in normal amounts, such as a few cups a day.
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly one in five young people in Britain – 19% – have not even considered learning to drive because of the expense, according to a poll by the price comparison website.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of considered
Verb
  • Pricing plans, rebate information and outage status were flagged as the most consistently difficult content for customers to navigate across every utility digital channel studied.
    — Amber Mullaney, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Voskanyan had studied in Armenia to be a dentist and later worked a variety of jobs in America including in construction and jewelry and as a dental technician.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 15 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
  • However, officials in recent days have weighed the cost of continuing to look through the price increases, particularly in light of a stabilizing labor market.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Claims about removing bacteria or extending garment life should be weighed carefully against broader evidence showing that overwashing causes wear.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of weighed
Verb
  • Several of her children have explored creative work alongside her.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Army has increasingly emphasized systems capable of operating with greater independence, while recent programs have explored autonomous intelligence, sensing, targeting, logistics and maneuver.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 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 17 Sep. 2026.

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