pondering 1 of 2

noun

as in contemplation

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pondering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ponder
as in contemplating
to give serious and careful thought to I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pondering
Noun
All 50 years of craft, thought, thematic pondering — everything. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
Other states could soon follow — including New York, which is pondering a similar bill — in a domino effect that could completely derail the automaker’s current trajectory. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 July 2026 Bravo is sipping its cuppa and pondering what to do about those interesting ladies across the pond. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 July 2026 Some viewers appear to enjoy seeing the princess in modern settings, pondering over what could have been if her life wasn't cut short. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham’s special election victory. — Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham's special election victory. — ABC News, 22 June 2026 Even the most technology-savvy leaders are still pondering and probing where the ceiling is in terms of containing agent sprawl and complexity. — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Any larger Hollywood studio would have likely insisted on a grander finale, but The Death of Robin Hood, produced by A24, left me pondering the foolishness of my need for such a denouement. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026 And yes, that includes the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Alex Ovechkin, who is still pondering whether to return for a 22nd NHL season. — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondering
  1. contemplation
  2. contemplating
  3. thought
  4. debating
  5. meditation
  6. considering
  7. consideration
  8. studying
Noun
  • Trish and Dan Bell Chapel The Trish and Dan Bell Chapel will serve as a gathering place for worship, contemplation and spiritual strengthening at FIU.
    — Florida International University, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Many crude laughs were bolstered by the attached contemplation.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Definition of contemplation
Verb
  • Harry was said to have been contemplating bringing his children to meet the king.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
  • The Sox are contemplating selecting either UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson or Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with the first pick.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of contemplating
Noun
  • The thoughts and prayers expressed on the phones are, in a sense, carried by the wind.
    — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Her brother said at the time that her first thoughts were with her young daughter, August.
    — Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of thought
Verb
  • The past month showed an industry racing to build for that projection while still debating its most basic assumptions.
    — Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Unlike basketball or baseball, pro football is far from the point where regular-season contests become meaningless, but that hasn’t stopped its fans from debating whether the NFL is sapping some of the magic that comes from football’s scarcity.
    — Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of debating
Noun
  • The nurturing Moon in your 12th House of Solitude conjoins sudden Uranus there, so flashes of insight may surface in dreams, meditation, or a quiet shower.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2026
  • Counseling and therapy practices are also adopting the tech, since the OPUS SoundBed is used to amplify modalities like IASIS MCN and EMDR by translating meditations and music into full-body vibration.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of meditation
Verb
  • The question comes after a Wall Street Journal report last week saying that Netflix executives were considering adding in live channels that continuously stream one program or certain genres, in an effort to boost viewer engagement.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • That’s dangerous, considering the National Institute on Aging estimates that up to 1 in 5 women 50 and up have it— in fact, 1 in 2 of these women will break a bone as a result.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 July 2026
Definition of considering
Noun
  • Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from makeup artists.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 11 July 2026
  • The weight considerations can be found in many of the design decisions, such as the dual-pane acrylic windows, which were chosen to reduce the overall weight of the trailer.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of consideration
Verb
  • Plates and plumes The problem with studying the formation of continents is that the geological evidence of this process is almost gone.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026
  • The robot was shown footage of professional footballers performing drills and movements, studying the mechanics of the sport the way a player might review game tape.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Definition of studying

Browse Nearby Words

pondered
pondering
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Cite this Entry

“Pondering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondering. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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