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 the penultimate hour now streaming, only one episode remains, and, without any renewal news to say otherwise, fans are speculating this could be the end of the saga from creator Meaghan Oppenheimer.
—
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, some of those astronomers began speculating that, like our planet and its inhabitants, the very stars were subject to change, forming and growing and eventually dying.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Podcasters who get to spend at least five more months speculating about Antetokounmpo trades that might never happen.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
Again, the value lies in confirming timelines, not speculating motives.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Fans of the show and the Julia Quinn novel series it’s based on are already speculating about who will star in Bridgerton Season 5.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
The tickets sold out quickly and, soon after, fans began speculating that guest would be none other than Bruce Springsteen.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Traders are increasingly speculating that Japan and the US may have taken coordinated action to support the yen.
—Erica Yokoyama, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Gold investors are also tracking economic concerns in Japan, with traders speculating whether Tokyo would intervene in the currency market the support the yen.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, some of those astronomers began speculating that, like our planet and its inhabitants, the very stars were subject to change, forming and growing and eventually dying.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Podcasters who get to spend at least five more months speculating about Antetokounmpo trades that might never happen.
—Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
Again, the value lies in confirming timelines, not speculating motives.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Fans of the show and the Julia Quinn novel series it’s based on are already speculating about who will star in Bridgerton Season 5.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
The tickets sold out quickly and, soon after, fans began speculating that guest would be none other than Bruce Springsteen.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Traders are increasingly speculating that Japan and the US may have taken coordinated action to support the yen.
—Erica Yokoyama, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Gold investors are also tracking economic concerns in Japan, with traders speculating whether Tokyo would intervene in the currency market the support the yen.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
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The lemon pizza and bone marrow tater tots wow diners, yet the regularly rotating menu centered around local harvests keeps guests guessing about what’s coming to their tables next.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The restaurant's post promised a free drink to whoever came close to guessing how the cars got there, and why.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Johnson cannot afford to lose more than one Republican, assuming all members are present and Democrats are united against the measure being voted on that would set the rules for debating a bill to boost domestic production of critical minerals.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The instinct was to start with the largest model possible, assuming that adaptation would naturally improve performance.—
Abhas Ricky,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shortly after, a family member of Mitchell's reached out to police, suspecting Immanuel was actually Mitchell.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
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By episode five, Michael had moved on from suspecting Yam Yam to suspecting Colton, who was a ringleader in the previous episode’s banishment of Big Brother fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 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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What a dietitian really recommends When thinking about how to advise clients, Mokari is very aware that what works for someone’s health and lifestyle is going to be individual to them.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Was some part of him always consumed by the addict’s skewed focus, thinking not of science or of verse but of the next bottle of wine?—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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