ruminated

verb

past tense of ruminate
as in pondered
to give serious and careful thought to the minister hoped that the congregation would spend the remainder of the week ruminating the message of his sermon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 ruminated The actor’s outfit was adapted from Ackermann’s Fall-Winter 2026 ready-to-wear collection, which ruminated on the language of desire and seduction, and the magnetism of opposites. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Shanahan ruminated on that topic in his news conference following the 49ers 48-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts Monday. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025 As part of saluting the filmmakers, actors, and artisans responsible for some of the most exciting cinematic works of the year, Thomas next ruminated on the true meaning of both activism and, ahem, IndieWire. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025 Trump has long ruminated on his desire to win the prize. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025 In that time, the actress has ruminated on her relationship with it from the perspective gained with distance. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminated
  1. pondered
  2. contemplated
  3. debated
  4. considered
  5. entertained
  6. studied
  7. questioned
Verb
  • For more than a year, industry stakeholders in Georgia and the rest of the country have pondered how public policy could help jolt the film industry in the United States.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Many have pondered why Mexicans and Mexican Americans have such an affinity for those blokes from across the pond.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of pondered
Verb
  • Nvidia and other chipmakers fell more than 3% as investors contemplated the possibility that frontier labs could deliberately slow model development, and thus the massive infrastructure buildout thus far designed to support it.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • At the southern tip of Key Biscayne, where Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic meet, developers had contemplated ambitious projects for what is now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplated
Verb
  • Swiss neutrality has been enshrined in the constitution since the mid-19th century, but its meaning has been debated for years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The state’s practice of charging prisoners was debated by the state legislature.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of debated
Verb
  • Virginia’s 5th is not normally considered a competitive district.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The location is along the Burke-Gilman trail next to Lake Union, and is considered the trail’s access point for runners and bikers.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of considered
Verb
  • Hot on the heels of his Golden Eye award ceremony on Saturday night, John Turturro entertained another crowd at a Zurich Film Festival masterclass on Sunday.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Your phone already knows how to keep you home and entertained for hours.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertained
Verb
  • New discoveries at an ancient site in Greece are revealing the remains of a sprawling royal complex where young Macedonians studied and trained — offering new clues about a school tied to one of history's most legendary rulers.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers at England’s Oxford University studied every Olympics between 1960 and 2016 and found that every single one of them went over budget, by an average of roughly 150% to 170%.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of studied
Verb
  • The deal is a way to repair relationships between the agency and west Charlotte residents who have questioned NCDOT’s communication and transparency on the multi-billion dollar toll lane project.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors questioned the schizophrenia diagnosis and pointed out that suffering from mental illness is not the same as meeting the legal standard of insanity.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of questioned

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Cite this Entry

“Ruminated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminated. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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