as in assumed
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in guessed
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Recent Examples of surmised
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Center staff surmised the bird had become entangled in fishing line.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
For the last three years, fans have surmised that one of the albums would be rock.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time - with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% - many researchers surmised that humans' arrival led to mass extinctions.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time — with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% — many researchers surmised that humans’ arrival led to mass extinctions.
—Christina Larson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
In a recent interview with The Times, the star, 38, surmised that a female version of the iconic British secret agent James Bond wouldn't be received well by a general audience.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Fans surmised the song may be a part of the set list moving forward because the dancers had to learn a new dance and production created new stage graphics.
—Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
After plotting their motions, Galileo correctly surmised that the quartet were not distant background stars but Jupiter’s most noteworthy lunar companions.
—Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
On the podcast, Allen calmly surmised his time on Earth is numbered, and shot down Maher's suggestion that artificial intelligence might prolong his life.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Center staff surmised the bird had become entangled in fishing line.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025
For the last three years, fans have surmised that one of the albums would be rock.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time - with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% - many researchers surmised that humans' arrival led to mass extinctions.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time — with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% — many researchers surmised that humans’ arrival led to mass extinctions.
—Christina Larson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
In a recent interview with The Times, the star, 38, surmised that a female version of the iconic British secret agent James Bond wouldn't be received well by a general audience.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Fans surmised the song may be a part of the set list moving forward because the dancers had to learn a new dance and production created new stage graphics.
—Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
After plotting their motions, Galileo correctly surmised that the quartet were not distant background stars but Jupiter’s most noteworthy lunar companions.
—Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surmised
Verb
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So Nick flew by himself on a United Airlines flight that Wil guessed contained more packages than humans.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Few would have guessed that the guardians of whiskey and beer would be the ones showing us the way into the THC future.—
Robert Hoban,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Getting confronted with gruesome, horrific imagery has, unfortunately, become an assumed risk when logging onto social media.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Some photographers flip this assumed authenticity on its head by reverse-engineering studios and sets to resemble homes.—
Megan Williams,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now, in the wake of his death, the right is arguing in private and in public — on X, on podcasts, and in anonymous comments — over what Kirk really thought about Israel.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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But right now, Astorino said, CEOs who thought their jobs would be like driving on a three-lane road are instead finding themselves on a 12-lane highway in a warzone.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Al-Gameya Al-Shareya was among more than 1,000 civil society groups blacklisted in the crackdown, court filings say, and chapters suspected of helping the Brotherhood during elections were dissolved.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Miami Gardens Police released images of dogs in the neighborhood suspected to have been involved in the attack.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December sparked a firestorm of debate, with donations for alleged assassin Luigi Mangione nearing $1 million ahead of his first court hearing in April.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
And what’s played out recently—leaving dozens of people on administrative leave for months, in the absence of alleged misconduct and without a clear path toward resolution—is unheard of, a senior NIH official who has been on administrative leave since the spring told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The city rejected this newspaper’s request for a copy of the citation, so we’re supposed to take the city’s word about its accuracy.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
-
During the May interview, Harry made all sorts of incendiary claims, alleging mistreatment by his father and supposed shadowy figures in the royal establishment.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surmised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmised. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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