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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surmises
Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 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
Verb
Upon entering the house, Donnie surmises there is an orgy-type party going on.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 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
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In any close bond, clear words help both sides understand needs and reduce defensive guesses, especially when choices feel time-sensitive.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
23 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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That measurement also assumes the buyer has a 20% down payment, which in this case would be $80,060.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2026
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That assumes everything lines up next offseason.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Leo’s fine, one supposes, as evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, but the role is not a natural fit for him.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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The first theory supposes that the Big Bang produced dense spots that didn’t collapse immediately.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Perhaps, Mero speculates, someone will change the lock combination, knocking her out of her own creation.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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In Evanston, a Northwestern University professor speculates that time could be on Iran’s side.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Harrell thinks the courts could be deferential to the White House in that respect, but that increasing the duty to 15 percent could invite greater legal scrutiny and make the argument more wobbly.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2026
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For anyone who thinks DERM focuses on saving trees and bees alone to the exclusion of growth, Hefty has a different conclusion.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Journalists have a duty to report the sequence of events clearly and to avoid framing that presumes motive or minimizes the threat posed by the suspect.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
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What a trigger warning presumes is that readers are entitled to be protected before the fact from the possibility of powerful emotion, an odd entitlement at best and one that is seldom afforded to any being in the course of the rest of life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rangers are still searching for a motive, but Dippel suspects the removal could be tied to the plant’s ecological status.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
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Maître suspects that more examples of fracturing will be found now that researchers know to look for it.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surmises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmises. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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