as in guessing
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 speculating
Gamow and Stern made a joke of it, speculating that perhaps new cars were continuously being made on the building’s roof and sent down for storage in the basement.
—
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The second the news dropped that Joy Division/New Order were finally entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, fans began speculating about what might happen the night of the induction ceremony.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
But Zeigler’s attorneys are only speculating in their latest request.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
From the moment Nancy Guthrie disappeared, people started speculating about what might have happened, and some of that speculation centered on Savanah’s sister Annie and her husband.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
Boring would have been Kamala Harris holding a commanding lead for the Democratic nomination and people speculating whether anyone could stop her.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The post sent the food corner of social media into overdrive, with fans dissecting the mockups and speculating about what a Crumbl donut experience could actually look like.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
The internet was quick to criticize, with some speculating whether the CEO even eats McDonald's.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Some fans are speculating that AHS season 13 could be a continuation of Apocalypse and Coven, the latter being the show's third season.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The second the news dropped that Joy Division/New Order were finally entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, fans began speculating about what might happen the night of the induction ceremony.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
But Zeigler’s attorneys are only speculating in their latest request.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
From the moment Nancy Guthrie disappeared, people started speculating about what might have happened, and some of that speculation centered on Savanah’s sister Annie and her husband.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
Boring would have been Kamala Harris holding a commanding lead for the Democratic nomination and people speculating whether anyone could stop her.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The post sent the food corner of social media into overdrive, with fans dissecting the mockups and speculating about what a Crumbl donut experience could actually look like.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
The internet was quick to criticize, with some speculating whether the CEO even eats McDonald's.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Some fans are speculating that AHS season 13 could be a continuation of Apocalypse and Coven, the latter being the show's third season.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
-
Lead with calm confidence instead of second guessing yourself.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In lieu of that, the story’s mystery needs to be enough to keep you curious or guessing.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cook has led the company for almost 15 years, assuming the role shortly before founder Steve Jobs’ death in 2011.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But Europe is also making a show of assuming more responsibility for Arctic operations.—
Alan Crawford,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Invitees were hoping and suspecting McCartney might pop in for a wave or a comment before or after the listening session.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even supposing the pledges in the 1990s documents amounted to a crime, the legal deadline for bringing mortgage fraud charges has expired.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In July 2021, Marshall proposed to Moody at Property Brothers star Drew Scott's home, where Moody had arrived thinking that the two were going to be shooting a show about dinner guests, according to Just Jared, which had exclusive photos of the engagement at the time.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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For years, people have streamed high-resolution video without thinking about the tech behind it.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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