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
With three heavy hitters in the field, the race promises to offer lots of excitement and a good return for those speculating monetarily.
—
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For now, fans will just have to keep speculating on who gets the role of a lifetime.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Other users on social media leveled similar criticisms at the Browns, with some speculating that the obstacles being put in front of the quarterback are intentional.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
That was the first time there was no component change to the index since March 22, a decision that weighed on shares of companies investors were speculating would be added.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
The yearslong case captivated the country, with many people speculating about what actually happened as Smollett continued to make headlines.
—Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
For centuries, philosophers and scientists have used the oyster as a symbol of minimal consciousness while speculating about beings whose minds might far surpass our own.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
While the casting of Voldemort has yet to be confirmed, fans have been speculating about the possibility of Cillian Murphy taking the role, which is something that Ralph Fiennes himself gave a stamp of approval.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Fans have already been speculating about Paevey’s possible return since Deadline broke in June that Kelly Thiebaud, who played Nathan’s sister Britt, was coming back to the soap.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For now, fans will just have to keep speculating on who gets the role of a lifetime.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Other users on social media leveled similar criticisms at the Browns, with some speculating that the obstacles being put in front of the quarterback are intentional.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
That was the first time there was no component change to the index since March 22, a decision that weighed on shares of companies investors were speculating would be added.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
The yearslong case captivated the country, with many people speculating about what actually happened as Smollett continued to make headlines.
—Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
For centuries, philosophers and scientists have used the oyster as a symbol of minimal consciousness while speculating about beings whose minds might far surpass our own.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
While the casting of Voldemort has yet to be confirmed, fans have been speculating about the possibility of Cillian Murphy taking the role, which is something that Ralph Fiennes himself gave a stamp of approval.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Fans have already been speculating about Paevey’s possible return since Deadline broke in June that Kelly Thiebaud, who played Nathan’s sister Britt, was coming back to the soap.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
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How To Play Competitive Wordle Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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For years, The New York Times has offered several daily word games for free play on its platform, including Wordle, a five-letter word guessing puzzle.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But assuming the value revival has legs, here are five stocks worth looking at.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Officials estimate that even a smaller-scale version could take up to a decade to design and build, assuming no delays in environmental review, permitting, or funding.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Officers first took Lil Nas X to the hospital after suspecting a drug overdose.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And season ticket holders who are eager to defray high costs could start thinking about selling some tickets at a profit to recoup expenses.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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You’d be forgiven for thinking Putin is not that interested in pursuing peace, considering Moscow’s refusal to entertain a ceasefire with Kyiv up to this point and the continual bombing of Ukraine.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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