SPECULATES Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

speculates

verb

present tense third-person singular of speculate

as in assumes

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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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 speculates The report’s conclusion speculates that keeping things private, even innocuous ones, signals secretiveness. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026 Neiman speculates that polyploidy and the snail’s unusual reproductive strategies are related. — Carrie Arnold contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026 Berman speculates that Meta will next settle the school districts case, which stemmed from some 1,200 districts across the country accusing the Facebook parent and other social media companies of spreading intentionally addictive features. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 The source speculates that Meghan may keep a relatively low profile as the family settles back into life in Britain. — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 At the same time, Caillier speculates that the rugs are strong enough to stand on their own. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026 Interestingly, sales of sunflower butter go up 18%; Instacart speculates that this happens because most schools have a nut-free policy. — Parents, 7 Aug. 2026 The team speculates that’s likely where the flies fall back on simpler reflexes. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026 Perhaps the closest analogue, Köhler speculates, are wellness retreats. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculates

Verb

That answer assumes the problem sits somewhere downstream of the room.

— Shawn Cole, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The bank assumes every 1 million barrels per day of supply lost adds about $4 to the futures price, Kaneva said.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of assumes

Verb

Logan Wright, the author of Broken China, guesses that growth is now running at no more than 1% — and may even be zero.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
The system consists of a predictive algorithm that guesses how a robot is broken, along with robotic manipulators that actually take the broken robot apart.

— Kohava Mendelsohn, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of guesses

Verb

Rock* supposes there’s a fork in the road where the Beatles take us one way and the Velvet Underground pull us somewhere else entirely.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Book banning supposes that children never age, never leave home, never become their own people outside their parents.

— Rebecca Stafford, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of supposes

Verb

Many Spaniards lived or even committed atrocities in the Civil War, suffering a collective guilt, Ruiz Capillas surmises.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Evans surmises the fish that survived were in an area of the creek where less charred material and sediment were swept in.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

Definition of surmises

Verb

The team suspects the increase in the rate and intensity of earthquakes shows that Earth’s crust did not return to normal after the final test in 2017, but instead seismicity increased as at least two preexisting faults became active, Kim said.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026
Authorities encouraged anyone who suspects a driver is impaired to call the department at 916-714-5111 or 911.

— Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026