as in hypotheses
an idea that is the starting point for making a case or conducting an investigation
set out to prove her theory that people can't really taste any difference between colas, so they buy according to the product's image
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Recent Examples of theories
Those are, indeed, pat, credible theories and predictions.
—
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
But now, in the planet’s capital city of Apperax, a murder is committed with no suspects, forensics or theories.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are several theories about the disappearances — including one based on the writings of a recovered artifact — none of them proven.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
While the shoes have yet to be professionally verified and dating remains unconfirmed, two solid theories could explain this phenomenon.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
Tisdale’s rep releases a statement As multiple fan theories circulated online, Tisdale French’s rep gave a statement to TMZ addressing all the speculation, and said the essay had nothing to do with Moore, Duff or Trainor.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Although sworn to secrecy by the MCU, Sadie Sink admits there’s sometimes some truth to the online fan theories.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Tisdale French's rep is shooting down the theories percolating online.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
The post earned over 36,000 upvotes as fellow Redditors weighed-in with their own wild theories.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
But now, in the planet’s capital city of Apperax, a murder is committed with no suspects, forensics or theories.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are several theories about the disappearances — including one based on the writings of a recovered artifact — none of them proven.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
While the shoes have yet to be professionally verified and dating remains unconfirmed, two solid theories could explain this phenomenon.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
Tisdale’s rep releases a statement As multiple fan theories circulated online, Tisdale French’s rep gave a statement to TMZ addressing all the speculation, and said the essay had nothing to do with Moore, Duff or Trainor.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Although sworn to secrecy by the MCU, Sadie Sink admits there’s sometimes some truth to the online fan theories.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Tisdale French's rep is shooting down the theories percolating online.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
The post earned over 36,000 upvotes as fellow Redditors weighed-in with their own wild theories.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theories
Noun
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When anyone with a creative spark can orchestrate a cloud of AI agents to build prototypes, analyze markets, and test hypotheses, the cost of trying something new plummets.—
Erik Brynjolfsson,
Time,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Engineers use agents to test hypotheses.—
Norbert Jung,
Fortune,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Under Miami law, they are required to count it before leaving the premises.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Require dedicated models, explicit data-handling policies, and deployment on-premises or in a virtual private cloud.—
Paul Eremenko,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theories. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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