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
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
While the wrestling world speculates about their potential match in December, both John Cena and GUNTHER face major challenges this Saturday at Crown Jewel.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
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
While the wrestling world speculates about their potential match in December, both John Cena and GUNTHER face major challenges this Saturday at Crown Jewel.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculates
Verb
-
Neither the author nor publisher assumes liability for any loss or damage arising from use of this material.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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But all of that assumes that a putsch does succeed, and this is dubious.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
That's precisely what a smart Southern cook thinks, too.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Pahlavi pretender himself certainly thinks so.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
9 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
-
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
-
The company imagines intelligent appliances operating as agents that manage daily routines and return time to users.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In an episode where Milo and Zach try to help Melissa conquer her fear of roller coasters, the roller coaster Melissa imagines is the same one Phinneas and Ferb made in their backyard.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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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Just ask 26-year-old Hunter McVey, a fitness model and influencer who suspects his OnlyFans account may have contributed to his own instant transformation into a primetime TV star.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Episode 2 begins with the immediate fallout of Joe's death; Zoë suspects foul play and vows to hunt down his killer.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculates. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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