as in pondering
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
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Recent Examples of ruminating
Marin directed some of his ire at Esalen, the epicenter of the Human Potential Movement and the playground, its critics scoffed, of those privileged enough to spend their days ruminating over the self.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Ricky Gervais will be in attendance to give a masterclass as creator and director of Netflix’s Alley Cats, the adult animation following a group of feral cats who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life, accompanied by a sneak peek of the first two episodes.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
But Gernsback's innovation of collecting previously-diffuse bits of literature ruminating on scientific discovery or technological advancement in one place proved to be an idea with staying power.
—Chris Klimek, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Boston, who serves as showrunner, creator, writer, and executive producer of the series has been ruminating on its terrors and delights for awhile now.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
The musical reimagines the Greek myths while ruminating on greed, labor and love.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
The shooter appears to have been ruminating on the event since at least 2016, according to prosecutors at the time.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
If your friend or family member is struggling to keep up with daily responsibilities, constantly ruminating about relationship issues, or expressing a sense of hopelessness, consider bringing it up, says Francesca Emma, a therapist in New York.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Instead of ruminating in your head, Burns suggests writing things down so your mind can unwind.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Ricky Gervais will be in attendance to give a masterclass as creator and director of Netflix’s Alley Cats, the adult animation following a group of feral cats who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life, accompanied by a sneak peek of the first two episodes.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
But Gernsback's innovation of collecting previously-diffuse bits of literature ruminating on scientific discovery or technological advancement in one place proved to be an idea with staying power.
—Chris Klimek, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Boston, who serves as showrunner, creator, writer, and executive producer of the series has been ruminating on its terrors and delights for awhile now.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
The musical reimagines the Greek myths while ruminating on greed, labor and love.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
The shooter appears to have been ruminating on the event since at least 2016, according to prosecutors at the time.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
If your friend or family member is struggling to keep up with daily responsibilities, constantly ruminating about relationship issues, or expressing a sense of hopelessness, consider bringing it up, says Francesca Emma, a therapist in New York.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Instead of ruminating in your head, Burns suggests writing things down so your mind can unwind.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminating
Verb
-
It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
Recently, that other long-running music magazine published a list of the 100 Greatest Punk Albums and their picks left me pondering the exact boundaries of punk (which, admittedly, is not a very punk thing to do).—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
That puts state attorneys general contemplating a lawsuit on the clock.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
With geopolitical tensions elevated, a high oil price and long-term interest rate projections uncertain now, many may be understandably contemplating a savings strategy shift.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The world is still debating whether this is a short-term disruption while farmers are already being forced to make decisions today that will have consequences next year.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
Regulators are debating whether the new data centers will strain the Texas power grid and affect electricity costs.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Well, Texas Tech's most prominent booster, Cody Campbell, has some very pointed comments for those schools, conferences, or institutions considering taking action against the program.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
Messengers could also be faced with considering a constitutional amendment proposed by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler that would ban women from serving in primary church leadership roles within the denomination.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Other teams of astronomers have looked for clues about the movements of giant planets in the orbits of asteroids and other small objects, studying them like footprints to reconstruct how they might have been pushed or pulled into their current orbits by the gravity of giant planets on the move.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
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By studying past hurricanes, AI models can identify similarities with current storms and help forecasters detect important changes earlier.—
Katie Garch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Verb
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At a steakhouse, tableside presentation, professional servers and beautiful slabs of beef start entertaining diners before the first bite.—
David Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Cozy and casual, the round bar and bistro-style wood tables are usually packed with workers at the end of the day, softball teams celebrating a win, locals from the neighborhood, people who left but can’t stay away for long, and entertaining local characters that defy description.—
Tanya Edwards,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Under prosecutors’ questioning, the witness agreed that his previous belief that Anthony was surrounded when the stabbing happened was incorrect.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
-
After questioning witnesses, detectives determined Williams had gotten into a domestic dispute with another person who was with Taylor, and Williams pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and fired multiple shots, shooting Taylor in the back.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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State and local governments trying to strike a balance between looking forward and securing jobs in construction while weighing constituents' concerns about energy, infrastructure, environmental and labor impacts.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Mitchell said families weighing private versus public schools aren’t driven by a single reason; their decisions tend to be personal and specific to each child’s needs.—
Chase Jordan
June 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminating. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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