PONDERING Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

pondering 1 of 2

noun

as in contemplation

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Dissimilar Words

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

Instead, the fast-casual restaurant chain's CEO and co-founder woke up pondering the country's ongoing cyclospora outbreak. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 One lucky Maryland resident might be pondering that after becoming the state's third $1 million winner in the past two weeks. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Engineers spent months pondering the approach in late 2025 and early 2026, when the only antenna that was able to communicate with Voyager 2 was down for repair anyway. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 Lupoi isn’t a guy who spends his evenings pondering philosophy or splitting atoms. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 Blumstein came up with the idea for the OnlyFans account while sitting in a meadow, waiting for marmots to appear and pondering the state of scientific funding for his work. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 But auto industry insiders are already pondering how original equipment manufacturers will react to this democratization of their data. — New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026 Beyond pondering whether to cut Google off, other publishers have resorted to suing the company, accusing it of illegally rehashing their intellectual property via AI summaries. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 23 July 2026 After graduation, Coyne continued taking community college courses while pondering her next steps. — Kerry McDonald, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondering

Noun

Indeed, Serrano’s image is, to me, comparable to an icon, worthy of sincere contemplation.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
The process of filming and editing became one of observation, contemplation and confrontation.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of contemplation

Verb

Supporters are circulating clips of Ossoff’s speeches, debating his prospects against other potential 2028 Democratic contenders and increasingly comparing his trajectory with Obama’s rapid rise from the Senate to the White House.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Opportunities are delayed because organizations are debating whose numbers are correct rather than deciding what actions to take.

— Ashraf Altawashi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of debating

Noun

Outside, the lush grounds host a 55-foot pool with a spillover spa, a kitchen and bar barbecue setup, a meditation garden with an infrared sauna, a stream, and a chicken—or peacock—coop.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
The participants watched a movie, followed by periods of rest, meditation, and music with their eyes closed.

— Mike McRae August 19, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of meditation

Verb

His team has seen many cancellations by importers who were shipping to the US East Coast or Texas via the canal, and who are now considering rerouting to Californian ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

— Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
That’s a lot of sweltering days, considering that the annual average is only about 37 days reaching 95 degrees or hotter.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of considering

Noun

The Marlins acquired Driscoll from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
The second is no small consideration in a system where sponsors are sued with some regularity, and Cerulli reports that worries about fees and litigation have slowed sponsors from changing their target-date arrangements at all.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of consideration

Verb

Since Australia's law came into force, countries including Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have enacted bans too, while many other countries are studying or developing laws.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
What Sweeney didn’t know was that when Lee Feaster, a football coach himself, was studying game film, Boobie was right there with him.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of studying

Browse Nearby Words

pondered

pondering

ponderous

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Style

“Pondering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondering. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pondering

noun

verb

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