SURMISES Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

surmises 1 of 2

noun

plural of surmise

as in guesses

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

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surmises

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of surmise

as in assumes

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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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 surmises

Noun

Nothing in your life has dissuaded you from these early surmises. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Verb

Evans surmises the fish that survived were in an area of the creek where less charred material and sediment were swept in. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 Upon entering the house, Donnie surmises there is an orgy-type party going on. — Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026 Cohen surmises that the home was the first on the block. — Culture Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Jan. 2026 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 In the study, Ned correctly surmises that Colum riled Dougal up into beating Malcolm so that Colum could be seen as the cooler head/better leader. — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surmises

Noun

Competitive Wordle Score The Bot and I tie yet again, this time with four guesses.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
These are our best guesses as to where life might exist elsewhere in the universe.

— Elijah Tan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026

Definition of guesses

Verb

Standardization assumes what worked in one market will work everywhere.

— Teja Chekuri, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
But the action is nullified by the fact that Ono assumes the stoic posture of the Buddhist monks seen in the news at the time setting themselves aflame in protest of the Vietnam War.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of assumes

Verb

Perhaps the closest analogue, Köhler speculates, are wellness retreats.

— Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026
In the 2021 edition of the novel published by Ediciones Uniandes, Carolina Alzate speculates that this could be referring to a town near Natagaima, currently in Tolima.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Definition of speculates

Verb

With demand exceeding supply, Pajjuri thinks the company can prioritize higher-value server CPUs, improving product mix while also gaining more pricing power because customers have fewer options.

— Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 23 July 2026
One way midfielder Zorhan Bassong thinks Sporting can avoid those long spells of getting lost in the game is through repetition of situations during training — almost for the sake of repetition.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Definition of thinks

Verb

Given the number of people involved in the current outbreak already, Mandrell suspects there may be multiple sources of contamination, since this is the time that the parasite generally flourishes.

— Alice Park, Time, 17 July 2026
Then ask what the bank does when an employee suspects financial exploitation.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of suspects

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“Surmises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmises. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of surmises

noun

verb

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