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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Recent Examples of speculates
Mike speculates that their last look at Eleven was really Kali’s holographic illusion, which would explain why Eleven’s body seemed to vanish as the Upside Down exploded.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Lawson speculates that things may look different in the classroom 25 years from now with emerging technology, but that doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
—Nish Kohli, The Providence Journal, 3 Jan. 2026
Schneider also speculates that the YouTube-AMPAS pact will put pressure on the Television Academy to also deliver a game-changing deal.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
The Post speculates that the capsule was potentially built by Timothy Oulton Studio, the designer of a very similar stainless-steel model spaceship for seating in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in London — which is also weird but less sinister.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 Dec. 2025
Windred speculates that there is extra stress put on both the cardiovascular system and metabolism by light when the body doesn’t expect it, and over time, that extra stress leads to damage.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
Dustin speculates that Vecna is killing people to open new gates to the real world from the Upside Down, meaning there are gates located in all the spots where Vecna's victims have died.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
And Lopez speculates that thousands or even tens of thousands of people could be wrapped up in it.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Ars Technica speculates that it was done by people who don't like the plan to help Duffy hold on to his dual roles or scuttle Isaacman's re-nomination.
—PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Lawson speculates that things may look different in the classroom 25 years from now with emerging technology, but that doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
—Nish Kohli, The Providence Journal, 3 Jan. 2026
Schneider also speculates that the YouTube-AMPAS pact will put pressure on the Television Academy to also deliver a game-changing deal.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
The Post speculates that the capsule was potentially built by Timothy Oulton Studio, the designer of a very similar stainless-steel model spaceship for seating in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in London — which is also weird but less sinister.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 Dec. 2025
Windred speculates that there is extra stress put on both the cardiovascular system and metabolism by light when the body doesn’t expect it, and over time, that extra stress leads to damage.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
Dustin speculates that Vecna is killing people to open new gates to the real world from the Upside Down, meaning there are gates located in all the spots where Vecna's victims have died.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
And Lopez speculates that thousands or even tens of thousands of people could be wrapped up in it.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Ars Technica speculates that it was done by people who don't like the plan to help Duffy hold on to his dual roles or scuttle Isaacman's re-nomination.
—PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculates
Verb
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Yet his rhetoric assumes that Jewish identity is synonymous with privilege, that Jewish concerns are secondary — or suspect.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The literary record assumes the same.—
Dan Turello,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The panel picks up on the baseball-heavy clues, and guesses accordingly.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The team or person who guesses the most songs correctly wins.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Leo’s fine, one supposes, as evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, but the role is not a natural fit for him.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The first theory supposes that the Big Bang produced dense spots that didn’t collapse immediately.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Alex LeBrun, cofounder of medical scribe startup Nabla who LeCun hired to be the CEO of Advanced Machine Intelligence, thinks the startup’s new AI models could start to roll out in a year, with healthcare a major focus area.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Liu thinks of warm minimalism as a lighter expression of traditional design, one that follows core principles but pares back selections.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The second reason is that progress narratives depend on an arc bending in a particular direction, which presumes the existence of a future end state.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Dec. 2025
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The guidance presumes that the current tariff rates on all countries will stay in place for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There’s also a spacious closet off the bathroom, which one imagines the future West Village girl who gets the place will need for all of her Reformation and Brandy Melville bags.—
Katie McDonough,
Curbed,
12 Jan. 2026
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Having learned the instrument by ear, the Ohio native re-imagines it for modern Western music by seizing the energy, abandon and soulfulness with which it’s associated in African settings.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Morgan correctly surmises that a misdelivered piece of mail was a move by the Game Master and not just a fuckup by the postal service.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
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In the study, Ned correctly surmises that Colum riled Dougal up into beating Malcolm so that Colum could be seen as the cooler head/better leader.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Silveri also suspects that some consumer trends may be helping more people cut back.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Anyone in Oakland County who suspects an animal is being abused or mistreated is asked to call Animal Control at 248-858-1090.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculates. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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