1
as in saying
to convey in appropriate or telling terms
the doctor was trying to formulate a good way to tell her that she would need surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in preparing
to put (something) into proper and usually carefully worked out written form
a writer planning to formulate a response to what he considered a very unfair review of his work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formulating
The school began formulating its response to the crisis in December.
—
Emily Witt, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
One the keys to enhancing the user content search experience is moving a consumer’s actual intent to a more significant role in formulating content recommendations.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Often, policymakers struggle to know where to begin in formulating policies.
—Janice Mak, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
By Wednesday, Ravens officials were already formulating plans to line up interviews for Harbaugh’s replacement, who will be just the fourth head coach in the organization’s history.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
This includes formulating a plan for Ilya to leave Boston and play for Ottawa, putting him closer geographically to Shane and giving them cover to start a charity together as a way to ease the public into viewing them as more than just bitter rivals on the ice.
—Jessica Derschowitz, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The hat was supposed to disguise him from the masses who were hearing the missing woman's story and formulating an opinion.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Rodriguez closed the day care and went on to work for the local school district, earning a degree in psychology while working in special education and then at the district’s child-development center, formulating strategies for kids who struggled with discipline or classwork.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
But thinking within the SMART framework first is a great way to get started formulating your goals.
—Kelly Mickle, SELF, 29 Dec. 2025
Emily Witt, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
One the keys to enhancing the user content search experience is moving a consumer’s actual intent to a more significant role in formulating content recommendations.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Often, policymakers struggle to know where to begin in formulating policies.
—Janice Mak, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
By Wednesday, Ravens officials were already formulating plans to line up interviews for Harbaugh’s replacement, who will be just the fourth head coach in the organization’s history.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
This includes formulating a plan for Ilya to leave Boston and play for Ottawa, putting him closer geographically to Shane and giving them cover to start a charity together as a way to ease the public into viewing them as more than just bitter rivals on the ice.
—Jessica Derschowitz, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The hat was supposed to disguise him from the masses who were hearing the missing woman's story and formulating an opinion.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Rodriguez closed the day care and went on to work for the local school district, earning a degree in psychology while working in special education and then at the district’s child-development center, formulating strategies for kids who struggled with discipline or classwork.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
But thinking within the SMART framework first is a great way to get started formulating your goals.
—Kelly Mickle, SELF, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formulating
Verb
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In an appearance on Fox News, the Trump-supporting singer bashed the choice of Bunny, saying the performance was an insult to the MAGA movement.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Piagentini dismissed those factors as beside the point, saying judges should trust juries’ sentencing decisions and that Davis’ ruling disrespected the jury process.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Levy Restaurants was reportedly only preparing 200 for Sunday’s game day.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The agency is preparing to send four astronauts back to the Moon this March on a high-stakes, ten-day mission to the far side.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The senators had previously sent a letter to the SSA in April 2025 expressing concerns about retroactive spousal benefits under the new law.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Parts of the exchange have gone viral among Angelenos, with many expressing confusion and surprise about the suggestion that Culver City is plagued by crime.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite the show being about London’s high society, the production team used the row of terrace houses composing the famed Royal Crescent to depict the exterior of the Featherington household.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Due to the Los Angeles wildfires, he was trapped in Montana for a week without plans and started composing before the film had even officially secured a financing deal.—
Matthew Huff,
Vanity Fair,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At Davos, Dimon addressed geopolitical risk and America’s role in the world without attacking individuals, while still articulating a worldview grounded in alliances, stability, and democratic resilience.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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One of Zelnick’s biggest takeaways after coaching thousands of professionals over four decades is that people are often afraid of articulating their goals.—
Susan Caminiti,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Zokaie is drafting legislation that would also ban ICE agents from ever becoming local or state police officers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is administering the program, advised states to use a $200 million annual estimate when drafting their applications.—
Jillian Taylor,
StateImpact,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Councilmember Monica Rodriguez voted against the measure, arguing the council had not done its job to reduce spending elsewhere before putting taxes on the ballot.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The goal is to engage kids in learning about history and civic engagement while putting them on a path to potentially work in the music industry, said the department’s Chief Academic Officer Irene Parisi.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An official representative, or the couple, would have to make a public announcement stating their intention to marry.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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About an hour later, the airport issued an update stating that operations would remain suspended for another 90 minutes or so.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formulating. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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