as in guess
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence
my surmise is that the couple's "good news" is the announcement that they are going to have a baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
we surmised that she had purchased the apple pie since there was a bakery box on the kitchen counter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surmise
Melissa Healystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2022
Instead, Rodrigues and Ohlrogge surmise, the glut of retail investors are probably not showing up for the vote.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 7 Sep. 2022
Will Sammon, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The authors surmise that the ancient humans who made these arrowheads used secretions from the bulbs of Boophone disticha, an Amaryllidaceae species that is well known to have been used for centuries as an arrow poison .
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surmise
Noun
One surmise is that the syndrome is caused by residual viral debris that continues to activate and/or exhaust the immune system.
—Melissa Healystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2022
Instead, Rodrigues and Ohlrogge surmise, the glut of retail investors are probably not showing up for the vote.
—Scott Nover, Quartz, 7 Sep. 2022
Verb
If not for injuries over the last couple of seasons, executives from different clubs surmised, Tucker landing north of $400 million would not be a question.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The authors surmise that the ancient humans who made these arrowheads used secretions from the bulbs of Boophone disticha, an Amaryllidaceae species that is well known to have been used for centuries as an arrow poison .
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surmise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surmise
Noun
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But whoever lies rotting in the bathtub is anyone’s guess.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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Traders poured in nearly $2 million taking guesses.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But as Burnett’s television empire grew, other executive producers like Tom Shelly and Doug McCallie assumed the role of overseeing the day-to-day filming logistics, with Burnett still signing off on key creative elements.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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Some people assume any gold purchase is automatically reported to the government.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It’s supposed to create revenue to fund health care, education, and food assistance through a one-time tax.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Area 51 is a classified Air Force facility in southern Nevada that has long been the focus of conspiracy theorists regarding extraterrestrial life and supposed government cover-ups.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Getty Images/iStockphoto With no Federal Reserve meeting on the calendar for February, homebuyers and owners hoping to refinance may have understandably presumed that mortgage interest rates would hold steady this month.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Krupa said it’s presumed that Celia Grayson ultimately made it to freedom in Canada, but Eliza stuck around in Chicago to work as a housekeeper.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surmise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmise. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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