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
Though his characters tend to sidestep spirituality, Wilson doesn't and is often ruminating on life, death and whatever follows.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Justice notes these preoccupations often impact our wellness in subtle and overlooked ways that can add up to significant harm like sleep disturbance, irritability, uncontrolled worry, ruminating about the ‘what ifs,’ exhaustion, burnout, and over-functioning.
—Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Virgos are known for their analytical skills, but can be prone to taking the analysis a little too far and ruminating over matters.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 19 Aug. 2025
Don’t waste time or energy ruminating on your mistakes.
—Anne Sugar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The intimate sketches of the private pop artist depict him socializing, ruminating, and — in one shot — standing shirtless and vulnerable, his scars visible from a 1968 assassination attempt.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Wednesday is ruminating on the big questions — who faked those patients’ deaths?
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
For instance, a depressed person may feel better in terms of their energy and sleep, but still have negative, ruminating thoughts.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
People filled comment sections for videos and posts about the shooting with unsympathetic replies, pointing out UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims, and ruminating on how much suffering Thompson was responsible for at the helm of the company.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Justice notes these preoccupations often impact our wellness in subtle and overlooked ways that can add up to significant harm like sleep disturbance, irritability, uncontrolled worry, ruminating about the ‘what ifs,’ exhaustion, burnout, and over-functioning.
—Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
Virgos are known for their analytical skills, but can be prone to taking the analysis a little too far and ruminating over matters.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 19 Aug. 2025
Don’t waste time or energy ruminating on your mistakes.
—Anne Sugar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The intimate sketches of the private pop artist depict him socializing, ruminating, and — in one shot — standing shirtless and vulnerable, his scars visible from a 1968 assassination attempt.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Wednesday is ruminating on the big questions — who faked those patients’ deaths?
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
For instance, a depressed person may feel better in terms of their energy and sleep, but still have negative, ruminating thoughts.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
People filled comment sections for videos and posts about the shooting with unsympathetic replies, pointing out UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims, and ruminating on how much suffering Thompson was responsible for at the helm of the company.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminating
Verb
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The Revival Act has left some pondering what the endgame looks like for Zuffa.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Turns out Stephano was pondering beltmaking too, leading the two to partner on a new business venture creating small-batch leather pieces and metal accessories.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the upside-down notion of Fox News turning into a progressive network or other legacy Murdoch assets being transformed seemed to be scenarios worth contemplating.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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The film’s title carries particular significance for Yoon, who has been contemplating it for 15 years.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the assassination of political figures is not the same thing as just being shot in the throat for the crime of debating issues in the public square.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2025
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If your current TikTok feed is full of Gen-Z and millennial users debating short nails verses long-almond nail shape nails, rest assured that burgundy nails work with either camp.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, the Heat are considering a reunion with a free agent former big man, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The city of Fort Worth is considering changing land use rules for a handful of parcels to allow buildings up to 15 stories.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An international research team led by Tohoku University has uncovered the secret behind this biological capability by studying a specific set of neural mechanisms.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
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By studying objects from beyond the solar system, researchers may be able to understand more about the outermost dwarf planets.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ripe figs are the star of this sophisticated salad, perfect for entertaining guests.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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Apart from one shocking death (when Tranter switches from neutralizing bombs up close to eliminating threats with his long-range rifle), the action is entertaining enough in the moment, but not especially memorable.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to the New York Times, this individual was the second person detained and later released by law enforcement authorities after questioning.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Instead, the Prime Minister’s absence has left British Jews questioning whether this government is serious about confronting the hatred consuming our country.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 225 pounds, Dillon has built a reputation as a hard-hitting, shot-blocking shutdown blueliner who has remained durable despite his physical playing style.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The central young star, or protostar, weighing as much as 10 of our suns, is located 15,000 light-years away in the outer reaches of our galaxy.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminating. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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