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 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
The song is intercut back to the women speculating about how awkward the male hangout must be, but the men actually break out in rock and roll jumpsuits.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Fans have already been speculating about which A-list actress could voice the character, who doesn't speak during her cameo.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 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
Fans begin speculating what led to their divorce.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Many top CEOs avoided interviews outside of the main stage for fear of speculating on the war and politics.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
But that won’t stop people from speculating.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2026
The song is intercut back to the women speculating about how awkward the male hangout must be, but the men actually break out in rock and roll jumpsuits.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Fans have already been speculating about which A-list actress could voice the character, who doesn't speak during her cameo.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 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
Fans begin speculating what led to their divorce.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Many top CEOs avoided interviews outside of the main stage for fear of speculating on the war and politics.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
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This involved looking around the restaurant and guessing the names of some of the patrons.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
6 Apr. 2026
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The playful breed-guessing challenge has captivated dog lovers, highlighting how diverse mixed-breed dogs can be—and how much personality can hint at ancestry.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But rather that sometimes, particularly with adult-child conflicts, the adult has to be very intentional about trying their best and assuming the best of the child.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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The team went into filming Company Retreat assuming the process would be easier than season one.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 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
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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,
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
-
The mindset is unbalanced, with too many players thinking about attacking play rather than anticipating danger.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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That spot closed after a couple of years, but Rodriguez never stopped thinking about barbecue.—
Connie Ogle
April 7,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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