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
The philosopher Biggie Smalls once pondered the nature of dangerously escalating rivalries.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Standing alone in a Swedish laundromat, Alfie Whiteman set a 10-second timer on his camera and pondered what to do next.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Local leaders have pondered a wide-ranging possibility of future uses for the property, from textile manufacturing to education to retail.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon pondered in a press statement.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Someone who has pondered such niceties is Richard Posner, a former circuit judge and a prolific legal scholar.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Lisa Nelson, executive director of the Hamline-Midway Coalition, said her board members pondered that question at length.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Standing alone in a Swedish laundromat, Alfie Whiteman set a 10-second timer on his camera and pondered what to do next.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Local leaders have pondered a wide-ranging possibility of future uses for the property, from textile manufacturing to education to retail.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon pondered in a press statement.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Someone who has pondered such niceties is Richard Posner, a former circuit judge and a prolific legal scholar.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Lisa Nelson, executive director of the Hamline-Midway Coalition, said her board members pondered that question at length.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondered
Verb
-
That 2019 plan contemplated the possibility of an entire network run on electricity through overhead wires.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
-
Just the opposite, it’s been contemplated at a deeper level.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The family debated which direction the teenager would go in his career.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 May 2026
-
Any remedy to that is worthy of at least being considered or debated.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
-
The building where the fire broke out has 107 housing code violations, including 39 that are considered immediately hazardous, building records show.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
The geological formation has been studied for decades, and that long record of scientific interest shapes how the company describes its role.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
For years, researchers have studied endocasts of Neanderthal skulls, trying to piece together how their brains were different or similar to ours.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Top clients were entertained at the Royal Mansour and La Mamounia—two famously luxe hotels in the city considered to be the best of the best.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
1 May 2026
-
Masterpiece and Paramount’s UK network 5 are returning to the Scottish Highlands that entertained British audiences at the turn of this millennium.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Senators from both parties questioned Means about her vaccine stance and nontraditional medical background during a contentious confirmation hearing in February, threatening her path forward.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Amid the protest, which included chants, songs, and a skit where Duke Energy was represented by someone dressed as the devil, Corinne Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP questioned whether Duke leaders were truly hearing residents’ concerns.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The ruling was appealed, and the case is now being weighed by the Supreme Judicial Court.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
-
The mammoth animal, which had been roaming Seminole County neighborhoods for more than a month, weighed 740 pounds when he was captured in Longwood, FWC told the Orlando Sentinel.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly putting old tankers back into service to act as floating storage and has explored shipping supplies by rail to China.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
Looking ahead, Farzad said multiple carriers are likely to bid for pieces of Spirit rather than the whole company, including Frontier Airlines and JetBlue, both of which had previously explored deals.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondered. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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