as in contemplation
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as in contemplating
to give serious and careful thought to
I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee
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Recent Examples of pondering
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The Rams will be at home pondering what might have been.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
That was the question that Golden Rain Foundation directors asked in August while pondering ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
—Anita Gosch, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
And for those pondering their futures, going out with a win sure beats the alternative.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Just pondering the logistics of building and running La Selva was as incredible to me as the nature that surrounded us.
—Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
That’s a question Leonardo DiCaprio is pondering.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
The latter, a song about confronting the woman her husband is cheating on her with, is a pivotal album track, one that’s gotten plenty of people pondering over Madeline’s true identity.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
Noun
All 50 years of craft, thought, thematic pondering — everything.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
But homeowners like Kahn are already pondering San Jose without Mayor Mahan.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The Rams will be at home pondering what might have been.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
That was the question that Golden Rain Foundation directors asked in August while pondering ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
—Anita Gosch, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
And for those pondering their futures, going out with a win sure beats the alternative.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Just pondering the logistics of building and running La Selva was as incredible to me as the nature that surrounded us.
—Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
That’s a question Leonardo DiCaprio is pondering.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
The latter, a song about confronting the woman her husband is cheating on her with, is a pivotal album track, one that’s gotten plenty of people pondering over Madeline’s true identity.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondering
Noun
-
Eid al-Fitr is a joyous time of renewal spent with friends and family after the month of spiritual cleansing, self-restraint and contemplation.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
-
For your contemplation, consider the following charts.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Collecting vinyl, clubbing at Berghain, contemplating polyamory—this is cool.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Proponents of such laws cite potential conflicts of interest between public interests and private ones, particularly when lawmakers or officials are contemplating a move from one sphere to the other.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Journaling is also a great way to explore your deeper thoughts.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Aim to share a post once a week between now and graduation, such as a story, event recap, or idea to demonstrate your engagement, perspective, and emerging thought leadership.—
Micki Meyer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Policymakers are interested too, debating whether public policy and taxpayer money should be used to propel off-site construction from niche application to a regular, if not dominant, feature of the industry.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Hani Haddad, a Sandburg sophomore, said a group of students debating about the club on his bus home.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As father and son venture deeper into the wilderness, their journey becomes a meditation on grief, survival and the meaning of paternal instinct.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Wellness Amenities Wellness practices at home will continue to be a priority for 2026 and people will look to renovate their homes to include amenities like home gyms, saunas, and meditation rooms.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to a report by Swiss multinational investment bank UBS, 36% of its 87 billionaire clients surveyed had already relocated at least once in 2025, while another 9% were considering doing so.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But the task proved daunting considering that Chopra Jonas, 30 at the time, was no longer in the ingenue phase of her life.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In June 2023, the court held that race-conscious admissions programs violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, effectively curtailing the consideration of race in colleges nationwide.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
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Senate Bill 1277 would cut text limiting what counts as an ADU, essentially allowing detached ADUs with the same consideration as apartments inside a home.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Not even scientists who have dedicated their life to studying chemistry can totally pin down its essence.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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Troublingly, many of the early psychologists and educators who took the lead on studying and developing curricula for these children were steeped in eugenics, including the belief in intelligence as hereditary, race- and class-dependent, and largely fixed.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pondering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondering. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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