ruminating

verb

present participle of ruminate
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

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 ruminating Alessandro Michele had been ruminating on a concept put forth in the book Black Swan. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026 So, Otto sits at the end of the counter, ruminating on the past weeks, then downs his glass of Gordon’s. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026 Yet there was Devers, ruminating as if the fate of the Giants’ (57-82) season rested on this Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026 Carmy is still figuring out his next move, interviewing for an internship at an architecture firm while ruminating on his experience at the Bear. — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026 The adult animation follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats from all walks of society, who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life. — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Shaboozey, who cites Pink Floyd’s surreal The Wall as one of his favorite albums and movies, had been ruminating on the idea for more than a decade. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminating
  1. pondering
  2. contemplating
  3. debating
  4. considering
  5. studying
  6. entertaining
  7. questioning
  8. weighing
Verb
  • Plenty of others, namely frustrated fans, are pondering the other stuff for him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This can be especially uncomfortable when the prevailing narrative holds its own special significance, but pondering such complexities strengthens our minds and our spirits.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of pondering
Verb
  • Now, under new ownership, organizers are contemplating future growth that could involve perhaps 20,000 participants, more visitors from outside North Carolina and a place among the country’s premier destination races.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The novel begins with Percheron contemplating news of Field’s death, and proceeds to trace their youths, including their meeting, in 1807, when Field is humbled by Percheron’s virtuosity on the piano.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of contemplating
Verb
  • Minutes after Peña's announcement, the lower house voted 78-0 to impeach him; on Thursday evening, the Senate was debating whether to remove him from office.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The industry has been working to answer that question by comparing benchmarks, debating reasoning performance and seeing each new model outperform the last.
    — Kumar Chivukula, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of debating
Verb
  • There are also two off-site restaurants worth considering, both reachable on foot or via the hotel’s tuk-tuk.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But according to multiple reports, including the Associated Press, Blackburn is not considering tapping Hegseth.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of considering
Verb
  • Before working with Pancho, Chang and his colleagues spent over a decade studying the basic neurobiology of speech in the human brain using similar recordings from non-paralyzed subjects.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Despite the controversy, some researchers are studying DNA editing of embryos.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of studying
Verb
  • The Blackburn team is focused on the transition, not entertaining baseless speculation.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Festive Diwali decorations filled Rancho Cordova’s Stone Creek Park for the city’s fourth annual Diwali celebration, with traditional Indian dancers and children’s activities entertaining a crowd of more than 2,500 attendees, according to Vempati.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of entertaining
Verb
  • But the New Mexico secretary of state's office received reports of DOJ monitors asking unusual questions and questioning voters in Bernalillo County, which is home to Albuquerque.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Miller, who prosecuted the case back in 2004 and 2005, sent Fernandez Rundle texts questioning her office’s handling of the case and denigrating the judge presiding over Smith’s resentencing.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of questioning
Verb
  • The young scientists weighing their futures today will help determine America’s future health and prosperity.
    — Carole LaBonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Cid Paz and his daughter arrived with a wagon to haul away seven sandbags, each weighing about 40 pounds.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of weighing

Browse Nearby Words

ruminates
ruminating
rumination
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Cite this Entry

“Ruminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminating. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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