surmising

verb

present participle of surmise
as in guessing
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 surmising During this period, this Simpsons episode circulated on social media (with a few digital modifications), with various media outlets surmising that the series had predicted these events. — Dan Snierson, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surmising
  1. guessing
  2. assuming
  3. supposing
  4. suspecting
  5. speculating
Verb
  • Open the numbers together instead of guessing from separate corners.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • The two sides disagree on what bus stops — if any — would trigger an SB79 project and guessing is conjecture.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of guessing
Verb
  • One of the biggest mistakes that business leaders make amid expansion is assuming customers in new markets have the same wants, needs, emotional reactions and behaviors.
    — Andrea Aker, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • In addition, the vote-by-mail ballots postmarked before or on Election Day need to be counted, too — assuming they are received by a county elections office no later than seven days after the election, the secretary of state’s office said.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of assuming
Verb
  • Even supposing the pledges in the 1990s documents amounted to a crime, the legal deadline for bringing mortgage fraud charges has expired.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Definition of supposing
Verb
  • In the r/Solidcore subreddit, one expressed frustration with the fitness studio’s lack of communication after suspecting their ringworm infection came from the Downtown Brooklyn location.
    — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 14 July 2026
  • Oceanside Police Captain Nick Nunez told KNSD that officers are not suspecting foul play.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Definition of suspecting
Verb
  • Allen didn’t give any reason for the switch, though the smaller venues plus the Montreal cancellation had some fans online speculating if ticket sales were strong enough for the larger arena setting.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • This concert will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and already has fans speculating whether Beyoncé might make an appearance given the significance of the date.
    — Caché McClay, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of speculating

Browse Nearby Words

surmises
surmising
surmount
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Cite this Entry

“Surmising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surmising. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on surmising

Nglish: Translation of surmising for Spanish Speakers

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