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
These are questions that thinkers, philosophers, and academics have pondered over for centuries.
—
Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan once pondered that the extras who make up the hive mind on the dystopian future show should be naked.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
Rice pondered about his team in the final moments of his Wednesday press conference.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Steve Kerr pondered a question from a local Salt Lake City reporter before the Warriors’ game Monday in Utah.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Some teachers and staff were concerned about losing their doctors when DPS pondered ending its 52 year relationship with Kaiser Permanente.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Moe pondered this for half a second.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
The Royals pondered whether to non-tender India this offseason.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026
Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan once pondered that the extras who make up the hive mind on the dystopian future show should be naked.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
Rice pondered about his team in the final moments of his Wednesday press conference.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Steve Kerr pondered a question from a local Salt Lake City reporter before the Warriors’ game Monday in Utah.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Some teachers and staff were concerned about losing their doctors when DPS pondered ending its 52 year relationship with Kaiser Permanente.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Moe pondered this for half a second.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
The Royals pondered whether to non-tender India this offseason.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondered
Verb
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In the fall, the board contemplated using money from its Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund to pay for a similar commemorative garden project.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The other professional path that Godoy contemplated would’ve still brought him back to acting.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Monday and Tuesday, Sirota and the committee’s five other members debated cuts to the state’s Department of Early Childhood and to Medicaid services.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tisza is not particularly progressive, and its platform is generally considered center-right, eschewing cultural issues for a campaign laser-targeted on corruption in government.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The drink contained nearly five times what is considered a deadly amount of the opioid, court filings showed.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Before being studied, the fossil was held by local collector Li-Ren Hou, who later donated it to National Taiwan University, where it was formally analyzed and preserved.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The results were compared to findings reached when researchers studied samples returned from the asteroid Bennu, and to investigations of the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites, collected from Australia in 1969, and France in 1864, respectively.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Onassis enlisted high society decorator Sister Parish to design the interiors, creating an elegant yet comfortable setting where the young political power couple entertained Washington insiders and journalists.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Family-friendly destinations Families visiting for the World Cup will find plenty to keep kids entertained between matches.—
Taylor Haught,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Conversations with assistants and girlfriends get cut short or mediated by the very men whose behavior is being questioned.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Deputy Lisa Phillips cried on the stand about one of Afroman's more explicit songs that questioned her gender and sexuality.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The committee weighed the Big Ten final in moving Michigan down one notch and moving Purdue from a 3 to a 2 seed, but didn't seem to pay as much attention to the action in the Big East.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Talking to the Pioneer Press on Friday, Young said the decision weighed heavily on city staff, as residents commonly mention the pool as a favorite amenity in the community.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During a conversation with Associate Professor Smith, the topic of mRNA vaccines came up, and Conyngham explored whether the technology could be applied to help Rosie.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
At first, the team, along with Mars’ band the Hooligans, explored funkier, more uptempo directions, but nothing seemed to match the emotional power of Mars’ lyrics.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondered. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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