as in guessed
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
I speculate that someone has been using this cabin as a trysting place
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Recent Examples of speculated
Such rapidly escalating prices explain why the speculated starting point for future expansion franchises in Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix or other cities is around $2 billion.
—
James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Some speculated that the move was actually to appease the FCC and ensure a smooth merger between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Skydance Media.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
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
The left speculated without evidence that Kirk’s shooter must have been a Groyper, a follower of a far-right movement known for its white supremacist and Christian values that targeted conservatives like Kirk for being too moderate.
—Laura Yuen, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Following Kirk’s death, some speculated that his killer Tyler Robinson may have been exposed to these subcultures, but no credible evidence links him to the Groypers.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Fans have speculated that Ice and Cardi have been jabbing at one another.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Some speculated that the move was actually to appease the FCC and ensure a smooth merger between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Skydance Media.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
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
The left speculated without evidence that Kirk’s shooter must have been a Groyper, a follower of a far-right movement known for its white supremacist and Christian values that targeted conservatives like Kirk for being too moderate.
—Laura Yuen, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Following Kirk’s death, some speculated that his killer Tyler Robinson may have been exposed to these subcultures, but no credible evidence links him to the Groypers.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Fans have speculated that Ice and Cardi have been jabbing at one another.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculated
Verb
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The internet being the internet, however, some fans had correctly guessed this twist was coming after sharing Harcourt’s observation about the population’s whiteness — matched with the fact that on the main Earth, Auggie was a virulent white supremacist known as the White Dragon.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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The Oscars host told Matt James that McNearney had guessed who the final three contestants would be on James' season of The Bachelor, and her picks were pretty close.—
Jolene Latimer,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
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Scientists have long assumed that dark energy is a constant, unchanging entity.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What to Know Several companies have issued voluntary recalls of shrimp products suspected of possible Cs-137 contamination.—
Matt Cannon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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In its original incarnation, the group stood in opposition to the House Un-American Activities Committee’s Joseph McCarthy-era interrogations of Hollywood figures suspected of communist sympathies.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Contestants shouldn't wear logos to rehearsal As former executive producer Joe Sungkur told Glamour in 2015, contestants are not supposed to wear logos in rehearsal.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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We were really supposed to finish.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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In fact, some investigators hired by media outlets have surmised that McDermott faked his own death and is still alive somewhere in Mexico.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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Google Street View images of a communal dining area, interior rooms and a bowling alley passed on the screen as the vehicle continued through the building, which a reporter determined later to be an actual retirement complex, just as the group members had surmised.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
Freep.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Under Texas law, if a married woman gives birth, her husband is legally presumed to be the father.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Sep. 2025
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The 23-year-old is the only person to have been apprehended in connection with the shooting at the Sky Meadow Country Club, though he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculated. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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