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
Industry observers have long speculated about Swift's pursuit of EGOT status — the achievement of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
—
Bryan West, USA Today, 1 June 2026
The hikers later speculated that the bears may have been siblings.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Others speculated that Swift would voice a character in the film.
—Rolling Stone, 1 June 2026
The authors of the study speculated on whether this society was egalitarian or non-hierarchical.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Some have speculated that the league took advantage of the situation to quietly remove Bucknor from the field as a response to that first week of the season.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Pete Buttigieg Pete Buttigieg, who made an unsuccessful run for the White House in the 2020 election before serving as Transportation Secretary under former President Joe Biden, has been widely speculated as a potential 2028 candidate.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 28 May 2026
Key Background Analysts have speculated whether Musk would combine Tesla with SpaceX, even before the rocket firm acquired his xAI in February.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
For years, royal watchers have widely speculated that George could follow in his father’s footsteps and attend Eton College.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Bryan West, USA Today, 1 June 2026
The hikers later speculated that the bears may have been siblings.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Others speculated that Swift would voice a character in the film.
—Rolling Stone, 1 June 2026
The authors of the study speculated on whether this society was egalitarian or non-hierarchical.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Some have speculated that the league took advantage of the situation to quietly remove Bucknor from the field as a response to that first week of the season.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Pete Buttigieg Pete Buttigieg, who made an unsuccessful run for the White House in the 2020 election before serving as Transportation Secretary under former President Joe Biden, has been widely speculated as a potential 2028 candidate.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 28 May 2026
Key Background Analysts have speculated whether Musk would combine Tesla with SpaceX, even before the rocket firm acquired his xAI in February.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
For years, royal watchers have widely speculated that George could follow in his father’s footsteps and attend Eton College.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculated
Verb
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Some guessed Gadd's Donny became a stalker himself by the end of that Netflix miniseries.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
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Many of those Fan Festival registrants from around the world likely never even had heard of Kansas City before this, Kramer guessed.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Top prospect Gage Jump was called up and assumed a spot in the rotation after starting later Tuesday.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
-
Wang was elected to the City Council in November 2022 and eventually assumed the job of mayor, a position that rotates among the council members.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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However, 349 people are suspected to have died from the virus in Congo and Uganda.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
Drugs are suspected to be a factor in the collision, according to police.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Or because the research may have been funded by the CDC and the authors potentially knew or assumed the conclusion they were supposed to reach.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
In the end, Filleman made sure this game went the way it was supposed to go.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Chris plays things on the mandolin that people never thought were possible.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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During 40 days of war with the US and Israel, Iran showcased its ability to send ballistic missiles to areas previously thought untouchable.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Patience tends to be a virtue with Fukada’s cinema, and it’s certainly required upfront, as the film takes its time in unraveling key connections between characters, while the nature of certain relationships must be surmised through cues of expression and body language.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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Offshore sourcing ecosystems for apparel are also deeply embedded after decades of Asia dominance, Kearney’s research surmised.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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He was presumed dead at the start of The Night Manager Season 2, which launched earlier this year, but returned with a vengeance midway through the series to exact revenge on Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
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The submarine never returned from patrol and was officially presumed lost after failing to report back to Midway in July 1944.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculated. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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