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
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
The result is a scathing takedown that will find techies throughout the Valley looking over their shoulders and speculating on who is who amongst the show’s motley collection of fictional backstabbers obsessed with growing their profit margin and amassing wealth and power.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
But that won’t stop people from speculating.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2026
Witnesses could be heard in the background speculating whether the shark was still alive.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The British press and social media users, unsurprisingly, immediately went into a frenzy speculating over why his departure was so swift.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
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
The result is a scathing takedown that will find techies throughout the Valley looking over their shoulders and speculating on who is who amongst the show’s motley collection of fictional backstabbers obsessed with growing their profit margin and amassing wealth and power.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
But that won’t stop people from speculating.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2026
Witnesses could be heard in the background speculating whether the shark was still alive.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The British press and social media users, unsurprisingly, immediately went into a frenzy speculating over why his departure was so swift.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
-
Here’s guessing Jackson, an independent spirit, was never quite locked in.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
No prizes for guessing the color.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The operation triggered a political shift in Caracas, with then–Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assuming power and moving to rebuild energy ties with Washington.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Currently, there are 108 IONNA locations operational with 375 NACS and 658 CCS plugs, assuming the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator remains a reliable resource.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
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,
Sun Sentinel,
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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Students might consider this a case of simply looking up information—which a majority of them rate as the most helpful and acceptable use of LLMs in surveys—but typing a question and relaying the response is not the same as thinking about it.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Sánchez, however, seems to be thinking long-term.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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