Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of speculate are cogitate, deliberate, reason, reflect, and think. While all these words mean "to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference," speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

When can cogitate be used instead of speculate?

In some situations, the words cogitate and speculate are roughly equivalent. However, cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

cogitated on the mysteries of nature

When would deliberate be a good substitute for speculate?

The synonyms deliberate and speculate are sometimes interchangeable, but deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

the jury deliberated for five hours

Where would reason be a reasonable alternative to speculate?

Although the words reason and speculate have much in common, reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

able to reason brilliantly in debate

When might reflect be a better fit than speculate?

While the synonyms reflect and speculate are close in meaning, reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

reflecting on fifty years of married life

In what contexts can think take the place of speculate?

The meanings of think and speculate largely overlap; however, think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

teaches students how to think

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 speculate Experts speculated Corteva leadership would choose Johnston, Iowa, for the home of the spin-off seed company, according to the Des Moines Register. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025 Some speculated that Proenza had official permission to present some limited critiques, either as a damage-control exercise or as a way to displace blame onto regional officials. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Law enforcement officials have not speculated on Sanford's motive for Sunday's attack. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025 With a Baywatch reboot officially in the works, fans have been speculating on whether former cast from Pamela Anderson to David Hasselhoff will return. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speculate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculate
Verb
  • Before, players could at least guess at the nature of a game, as each suit represented a different kind of competition.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
  • What makes addressUSA different AddressUSA does more than guess.
    Mary Beth Eastman, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Additionally, vice president of operations Donna Washington will assume a new role as vice president of external affairs.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Enterprises often assume that simply scaling data—collecting millions more images or video hours—will close the performance gap.
    Brian Moore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Are you supposed to dampen parchment paper?
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Basketball’s supposed to be fun.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Eastern members of the alliance, including Estonia, Poland, and Romania, recently reported incursions into their airspace, while drones that disrupted Danish airports are suspected of being linked to Russia.
    Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The incident remains under investigation, Gajewski said, but authorities suspect the driver may have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Gonzalez, the former National Security Council official, said senior policymakers thought that embassy staff were showing favoritism to Bukele, sending reports that minimized the growing crisis of democracy in El Salvador.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Initially, the source was thought to be in an area between the football stadium and the high school’s dock area, but the gas utility determined that the leak was somewhere within the building.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Speculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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