as in guesses
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence
the many conjectures about the true identity of Jack the Ripper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in estimates
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
he conjectured that the theater could seat 1000 people more or less
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assumes
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
you're only conjecturing that he was the culprit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conjectures
Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
With few clear signals about who has influence and how decisions are made, the halls of power in Beijing are fertile ground for political conjectures.
—Deng Yuwen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
This is an intense ongoing study and there are many conjectures.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Amenabar seems to root his screenplay on conjectures about the writer’s sexuality, which many scholars consider latterday projection.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
There’s no end to conjectures about William Shakespeare’s life because there isn’t all that much definitive Shakespeareana to rake over.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
For one thing, Kontsevich is known for taking a high-level approach to mathematics, preferring to pose ambitious conjectures and sketch out broad programs, often leaving the subtler details and formal proof-writing to others.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
With few clear signals about who has influence and how decisions are made, the halls of power in Beijing are fertile ground for political conjectures.
—Deng Yuwen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
This is an intense ongoing study and there are many conjectures.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Amenabar seems to root his screenplay on conjectures about the writer’s sexuality, which many scholars consider latterday projection.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Leaving the hard numbers aside, conjectures about the effects of AI on individual companies are exactly that — conjectures.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
There’s no end to conjectures about William Shakespeare’s life because there isn’t all that much definitive Shakespeareana to rake over.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conjectures
Noun
-
The post generated more than 300 guesses, some submitted purely in fun.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Noting her hesitancy, Benedict’s character in the book guesses that Sophie is illegitimate.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The city of Milwaukee estimates that up to 12,500 people use the thoroughfare every day.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Tax Foundation estimates the average tax refund could be $300 to $800 higher compared with a typical year.—
Sharon Epperson,Stephanie Dhue,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The newer model assumes that demand follows trust.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Kerry Haigh will continue to serve as interim CEO until Clark assumes his role March 2.—
Eric Prisbell,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Such theories were met with some skepticism by trade researchers at the time, and not all of the predictions have come true.—
Josh Ederington,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
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As the search continues with no suspects or persons of interest, posts across Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and YouTube have put millions of eyeballs on tips and theories surrounding her disappearance.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Once everyone figures it out, the advantage disappears.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Scott figures to go in the second or third rounds.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The first theory supposes that the Big Bang produced dense spots that didn’t collapse immediately.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Chesterton calculates building fee charges on a per-square-foot basis.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
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The projections here come from a statistical model that uses player ratings to estimate relative team strength, calculates each team’s odds of winning every game and simulates the full tournament 30,000 times.—
Ryan Best,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conjectures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conjectures. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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