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
Twenty years after The Devil Wears Prada debuted, fans have long speculated that her icy, commanding fashion editor character, Miranda Priestly, was inspired by Anna Wintour.
—
Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
Both Doncic and Reaves have been diagnosed with injuries that often take a month or more to heal properly, but the Lakers haven’t speculated on their availability beyond the next five games.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Both Doncic and Reaves have been diagnosed with injuries that often take a month or more to heal properly, but the Lakers haven't speculated on their availability beyond the next five games.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
His age and tenure are some of the reasons court commentators have recently speculated Alito, one of the court’s most conservative justices, may want to retire soon.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
In the third part of the interview published Thursday, Cooke was asked a few hard-hitting questions about the time of Batula and Wilson’s relationship, which has been speculated about online.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Others have speculated humorously about the preservatives or composition of the chips, though no scientific testing has been conducted on the specific incident.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Despite the frozen food staple’s popularity, some Redditors speculated the reason for the discontinuation was due to some…tummy troubles.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
Both Doncic and Reaves have been diagnosed with injuries that often take a month or more to heal properly, but the Lakers haven’t speculated on their availability beyond the next five games.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Both Doncic and Reaves have been diagnosed with injuries that often take a month or more to heal properly, but the Lakers haven't speculated on their availability beyond the next five games.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
His age and tenure are some of the reasons court commentators have recently speculated Alito, one of the court’s most conservative justices, may want to retire soon.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
In the third part of the interview published Thursday, Cooke was asked a few hard-hitting questions about the time of Batula and Wilson’s relationship, which has been speculated about online.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Others have speculated humorously about the preservatives or composition of the chips, though no scientific testing has been conducted on the specific incident.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Despite the frozen food staple’s popularity, some Redditors speculated the reason for the discontinuation was due to some…tummy troubles.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculated
Verb
-
After the comedians guessed that she was canned from a restaurant or retail job, Fineman revealed the truth.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Foster said a few people correctly guessed the breed combination.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And even those who do own their own home aren’t immune—taxes, energy bills, and grocery prices have all surged, quietly eroding the financial cushion many assumed would last decades.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Johan assumed Zack would be going to prison for a long time.—
Rich Schapiro,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the excuse the golfing great reportedly gave to the sheriff’s deputy who suspected him of driving under the influence makes his latest debacle even worse.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But two of his family members suspected foul play from the beginning.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But OpenAI was not supposed to be a normal company.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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This event was part of the #MeToo blackout awards season, in which attendees wore black in support of the movement—but the British Royal family is never supposed to make a political statement of any kind.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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How many average people have once thought about harming ourselves or others?—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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At first, Sacramento County Sheriff’s dispatcher Leslie Beach thought the call was a code 211 robbery-in-progress.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By waiting so long to act, Pratt surmised, the NCAA implicitly conceded the harm doesn’t warrant a TRO.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The piece surmised that the current crop of outdoor filmmakers had mastered the art of narrative storytelling, and of transforming elite outdoor athletes into compelling characters.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In September 1879, the girl died of viral encephalitis — presumed to have been transmitted by a mosquito — just weeks before her 13th birthday.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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There are also lead-testing kits available, though at-home testing should generally be presumed less accurate.—
Heather Bien,
Martha Stewart,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculated. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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