surmise 1 of 2

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

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surmise

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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
Google Street View images of a communal dining area, interior rooms and a bowling alley passed on the screen as the vehicle continued through the building, which a reporter determined later to be an actual retirement complex, just as the group members had surmised. Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Morgan correctly surmises that a misdelivered piece of mail was a move by the Game Master and not just a fuckup by the postal service. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surmise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surmise
Noun
  • Whether that response is genuine is now anybody’s guess.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Hundreds of users were making guesses about where Sahara learned the sign for more in the comments.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Before Hamilton assumed the role in 2004, Robert Linn served as the GOP mayor from 1946 to 2004.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Advertisement Whether out of unconscious sexism, his infatuation with her, or both, Lee was catastrophically wrong in assuming that Betty Jo was an innocent victim in the Washberg affair.
    Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • An inmate who trains service dogs was also instructed to give Maxwell time with one of the puppies, even though the dogs are not supposed to be pet during training.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • At least nine people are believed to have been killed on the ground, including a child, in addition to the plane's three crew members who are presumed to be dead, according to authorities.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Following Kemp's withdrawal from the running, Greene, 51, was presumed by many to be eyeing the seat.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Surmise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmise. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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