Synonym Chooser

How is the word ruminate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of ruminate are meditate, muse, and ponder. While all these words mean "to consider or examine attentively or deliberately," ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption.

ruminated on past disappointments

When is it sensible to use meditate instead of ruminate?

While in some cases nearly identical to ruminate, meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

When might muse be a better fit than ruminate?

The synonyms muse and ruminate are sometimes interchangeable, but muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

When is ponder a more appropriate choice than ruminate?

Although the words ponder and ruminate have much in common, ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

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 ruminate Piani, who also wrote the screenplay, includes moments of the scribe at work — that is to say procrastinating, ruminating and occasionally disassociating from the terror of the blank page. Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025 The rapper’s latest includes wistful trap anthems ruminating on his trials and tribulations, as well as menacing drill tracks and more melodic songs tapping into his romantic side to cater to his female fan base — all of which were run by Durk’s legal team before heading to streaming services. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025 Having ruminated on his future with family, a deal that would bring him back to London permanently seemed the best option. Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 30 May 2025 The original closet, the one housed at the company’s offices not far from Union Square, has over the years become a regular stop for filmmakers and other luminaries to score free discs and record videos ruminating about the movies that have shaped their lives. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ruminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminate
Verb
  • The Rafael Devers blockbuster is probably the biggest deal that will go down, but the temptation is there to ponder other earthshaking possibilities, no matter how remote.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • Viewing the team’s three-year stint here as an audition of sorts, officials have pondered if the local enthusiasm for baseball could help prove the Sacramento region as a welcome home for MLB.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • The question of how to deal with the fracturing has scientists contemplating the best course of action.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2025
  • Levine Cava is reportedly contemplating $25 million in savings from the Parks budget, but the details aren’t known.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Ventriloquist: Marc Griffiths the ventriloquist will entertain children during a Kids Summer Reading program at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 10 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road.
    Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2025
  • More amusingly, the Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe backroom staff seemed to be entertaining their riders with some local trivia.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • While addressing the overall tax environment and tax treatment of cryptoassets is beyond the scope of any one singular week there are specific items that lawmakers need to keep front of mind as stablecoins and cryptoassets more broadly are debated.
    Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The exact circumstances and fuzzy details of the riot have been debated and researched for decades — including an urban legend that some cadets in College Station attempted to take a howitzer to Waco via a rail car.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Last year, Hurricane Helene wiped out entire North Carolina towns previously considered safe from that type of destruction.
    Laura Schifter, Time, 15 July 2025
  • This is particularly important for homeowners in fire-prone areas to consider, the James Hardie pro says.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Some of that progress is fueled by Chinese scientists who studied or worked in the U.S. and then moved back to China– just like Xia did.
    Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • And many people who study emergency response agree that, to some degree, the agency needs reform.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ruminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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