as in contemplation
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as in contemplating
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 pondering
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
That was the question that Golden Rain Foundation directors asked in August while pondering ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
—Anita Gosch, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
And for those pondering their futures, going out with a win sure beats the alternative.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Just pondering the logistics of building and running La Selva was as incredible to me as the nature that surrounded us.
—Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
That’s a question Leonardo DiCaprio is pondering.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
The latter, a song about confronting the woman her husband is cheating on her with, is a pivotal album track, one that’s gotten plenty of people pondering over Madeline’s true identity.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
Walker also asked Gaskill whether his oath of office crossed his mind while pondering the language in his bill.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
Noun
All 50 years of craft, thought, thematic pondering — everything.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Rams will be at home pondering what might have been.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
That was the question that Golden Rain Foundation directors asked in August while pondering ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
—Anita Gosch, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
And for those pondering their futures, going out with a win sure beats the alternative.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Just pondering the logistics of building and running La Selva was as incredible to me as the nature that surrounded us.
—Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
That’s a question Leonardo DiCaprio is pondering.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
The latter, a song about confronting the woman her husband is cheating on her with, is a pivotal album track, one that’s gotten plenty of people pondering over Madeline’s true identity.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
Walker also asked Gaskill whether his oath of office crossed his mind while pondering the language in his bill.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondering
Noun
-
For your contemplation, consider the following charts.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The beginning of the year is often the time for contemplation and action.—
Heather L. Locus,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Among critics is San José Mayor Matt Mahan, a tech-friendly Democrat who is contemplating a run for governor.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Today's developments, however, also spark a new series of questions worth contemplating.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anyone who has made an impulsive decision in a moment of intense emotion knows that feelings shape our choices just as much as rational thought.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
While investors may balk at the thought of holding bonds from fiscal basket cases like Chicago or the state of Illinois, Jones says actual defaults are almost unheard-of, since government entities don’t go out of business.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This week, legislators will begin debating several of them.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Those of us gathered in Davos were no longer debating whether AI will change the world and shape our collective futures; that is settled.—
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Studies have shown that meditation can help lower blood pressure, boost immunity, improve sleep, and slow memory loss.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
People come on silent retreat for a week or two at a time and spend most of their days sitting in the Zendo—the meditation hall—facing a wall or tracing walking meditations on the gravel paths that meander through Upaya’s gardens.—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dave Parker, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said interstates and highways were in pretty good shape overall considering the amount of sleet and snow.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Retain clients who were considering leaving?—
Kwame Christian Esq,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Any decision regarding Iran’s participation or nation exclusions would involve complex political and economic costs that extend far beyond football considerations.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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LeBron is still eligible for All-NBA consideration and has started playing in back-to-backs.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Our team actually went down a rabbit hole really just studying this category of books because there are a lot of folks that didn’t even really know that this genre existed or existed in such volume and that there was so much fandom around it.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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As part of that, ESA scientists are studying what happens when satellites burn up.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondering. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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