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
The main tune of those speculating about Brown is that he will be traded to a new squad before the start of the year.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Meanwhile, some in the media are wildly speculating that this is somehow magical, miraculous, or a sign of sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Nemes doesn’t even do much speculating about who might have betrayed Moulin and his compatriots, which remains a matter of some debate in France.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Because the stories are going to keep coming out, speculating what’s in there.
—NBC news, 10 May 2026
After years of college basketball fans speculating over whether the two were dating, Bueckers confirmed their relationship in a July 2025 interview with WAG Talk.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Now, fans are speculating that one of the world’s most famous power couples, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, could make a joint appearance at fashion’s biggest night.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 4 May 2026
There were times, between when the film was shot in 2021 and its period of post-production limbo, when crew members were openly speculating about it never seeing the light of day.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 May 2026
One fan account called @beyscatalog on X alleged that the singer's next album will be announced in connection to the Met Gala, speculating that a lead single release could be scheduled for next month and a full album released this summer.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Meanwhile, some in the media are wildly speculating that this is somehow magical, miraculous, or a sign of sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Nemes doesn’t even do much speculating about who might have betrayed Moulin and his compatriots, which remains a matter of some debate in France.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Because the stories are going to keep coming out, speculating what’s in there.
—NBC news, 10 May 2026
After years of college basketball fans speculating over whether the two were dating, Bueckers confirmed their relationship in a July 2025 interview with WAG Talk.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Now, fans are speculating that one of the world’s most famous power couples, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, could make a joint appearance at fashion’s biggest night.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 4 May 2026
There were times, between when the film was shot in 2021 and its period of post-production limbo, when crew members were openly speculating about it never seeing the light of day.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 May 2026
One fan account called @beyscatalog on X alleged that the singer's next album will be announced in connection to the Met Gala, speculating that a lead single release could be scheduled for next month and a full album released this summer.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
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Connecting them is what shifts you from guessing which behaviors matter to knowing.—
Brian Tuite,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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Support becomes less about guessing and more about understanding.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Put simply, Wembanyama is built for the SportsCenter Top 10, assuming that still exists.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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But gone are the days of assuming good actors rule the roost when bad action can be quicker, easier, and more lucrative.—
Will Johnson,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Three people suspecting in a series of pickpocket crimes in San Francisco's Chinatown were arrested over the weekend after a weeks-long investigation, police said Tuesday.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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Non-human identities already outnumber humans by roughly 50 to 1 in the average enterprise, with over two-thirds of enterprises suspecting that AI agents have accessed unauthorized data.—
Anjana Susarla,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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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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Long-term stewardship, whether that’s building a brand, investing in people or thinking about legacy, becomes harder to prioritize when the focus is on what can be measured and delivered in the next quarter.—
Rebecca Brooks,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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What are you supposed to be thinking when your team is pushing toward the goal?—
Nicole Williams,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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