SPECULATES Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

speculates

verb

Definition of speculates next

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 real estate platform speculates that January’s weaker figures were likely due to the severe winter weather, and the company is predicting an upswing as temperatures rise. —

Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026 Perhaps, Mero speculates, someone will change the lock combination, knocking her out of her own creation. —

Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026 In Evanston, a Northwestern University professor speculates that time could be on Iran’s side. —

Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026 Another camp speculates that these forebears met human nomads on the trail of big game and started traveling with them, eventually arriving in China via Mongolia through their supporting role as war dogs. —

Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 Meanwhile, White speculates that the Hong Kong funds also got pummeled by headwinds in the Yen-carry trade—which made their financing more expensive—and exposure to recent convulsions in the silver market. —

Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculates

Verb

Receiving the credit also assumes residency, which can be tricky, warns Nathan Hagerman, partner at Taft law firm.

— Medora Lee, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
This assumes the ability to accelerate exports to more than 7 million barrels a day in the second half of the year, alongside higher payments from Aramco due to elevated crude prices.

— Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026