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
Authorities have speculated that Watts wanted a chance to start over with the woman.
—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Kay also brought up how, back in the day, people speculated that Princess Margaret would be better suited for the throne than Princess Elizabeth.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
And many have speculated that Netflix’s vast trove of data informs certain narrative habits on its shows (cliff-hangers to encourage bingeing, for example, and frequent restating of plot points to engage viewers distracted by their phones).
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
While nothing’s been confirmed, royal watchers have speculated that Elizabeth’s granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton has her own intentional moves involving her bag placement.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Analysts have also speculated that the company may undergo consolidation measures to streamline costs.
—Seema Mody, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
While the city never identified what the land would be used for, residents speculated about the possibility of a data center coming to the rural neighborhood.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
The code name Operation Epic Fury is speculated to invoke a warrior-like mentality.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026
Compal hasn't revealed which version of E Ink will feature here, but the concept is speculated to use Kaleido 3 color e-paper technology.
—New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Kay also brought up how, back in the day, people speculated that Princess Margaret would be better suited for the throne than Princess Elizabeth.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
And many have speculated that Netflix’s vast trove of data informs certain narrative habits on its shows (cliff-hangers to encourage bingeing, for example, and frequent restating of plot points to engage viewers distracted by their phones).
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
While nothing’s been confirmed, royal watchers have speculated that Elizabeth’s granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton has her own intentional moves involving her bag placement.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Analysts have also speculated that the company may undergo consolidation measures to streamline costs.
—Seema Mody, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
While the city never identified what the land would be used for, residents speculated about the possibility of a data center coming to the rural neighborhood.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
The code name Operation Epic Fury is speculated to invoke a warrior-like mentality.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026
Compal hasn't revealed which version of E Ink will feature here, but the concept is speculated to use Kaleido 3 color e-paper technology.
—New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculated
Verb
-
Ken Jeong guessed Travis Kelce.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
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After a brief deliberation, Kobrya correctly guessed the trip’s cost at $9,537 and won his second prize of the day.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Grenell assumed the interim executive director role at the Kennedy Center in February 2025.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Claire was initially surprised that this busybody had assumed the role of her official helper without an invitation.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Four men suspected of being involved have been arrested, Dutch authorities said Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The car crashed into a guardrail and overturned, according to Harper, who said alcohol was suspected as a factor in the fatal collision.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tense phone calls with her mother ensue where she’s chastised for not doing what she’s supposed to.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Since when are universities supposed to make everyone feel good?—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the very unlikely event that Mann had revealed his private struggles to his visitors, would Sontag have thought better of him?—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Once thought to serve as a deterrent, American military bases and diplomatic outposts in these countries are a bull’s-eye for Iranian missiles and have come under heavy fire as the war stretches into its 13th day.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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On Tuesday, the family offered a $1 million reward for her return, probably in hopes of appealing to someone in the kidnapper’s orbit to come forward, a security expert surmised to CNN.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mark Kastelic takes the opening faceoff, wins the all-important draw and heads off the ice, to be replaced by a player presumed to have more offensive chops.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
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Rather than the standard towel-waving or shouting, the fan — presumed to be a Pitt supporter — chose to sing beloved 90s hits at the top of his lungs.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculated. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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