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as in to speculate (about)
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-guess
Kenley Jansen clearly isn’t one to second-guess himself, not after 16 years in the major leagues and 470 saves.
—
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Later, however, a partner or close friend might discourage your thinking, which leaves you feeling doubtful and second-guessing things.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
It’s been nine months since the 2024 election — more than enough time for voters to reassess and second-guess their choices at the ballot box.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Hyde Tyler then also encountered Wednesday, but appeared to second-guess himself and simply tossed her through a window, knocking her unconscious instead of killing her.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Later, however, a partner or close friend might discourage your thinking, which leaves you feeling doubtful and second-guessing things.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025
It’s been nine months since the 2024 election — more than enough time for voters to reassess and second-guess their choices at the ballot box.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Hyde Tyler then also encountered Wednesday, but appeared to second-guess himself and simply tossed her through a window, knocking her unconscious instead of killing her.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guess
Verb
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The Fed and the Markets both appear to be trying to outguess each other.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes,
23 Sep. 2021
Verb
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His edge is not in timing the market or outsmarting high-frequency traders.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Screenshots from a June 20 TikTok video of an owner trying to outsmart his German shepherd when giving her a piece of popcorn.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Once considered a cornerstone of learning, the ability to analyze, evaluate, and discern information has been replaced by an overreliance on quick answers.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Flat, flexible teams outmaneuver rigid command chains.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The encounter took place less than two weeks after a confrontation at another South China Sea hot spot—Scarborough Shoal—that saw a Chinese navy destroyer and a China coast guard ship collide after being outmaneuvered by a smaller Philippine coast guard cutter.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In this task, intuition is reflected in whether people can suddenly sense connections between things without consciously reasoning them out.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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If making movies couldn’t happen for him, Newell eventually reasoned his next best thing might be to stage movies live.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ben Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Knowles, Alex O’Connor—these are professional debaters capable of outwitting and outreasoning almost any audience member unfamiliar with traditional debate techniques, regardless of the topic or claim being considered.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
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The irony was that the filmmaking team did this by going small: the third act of that 2013 movie as newly penned by Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard famously featured a much quieter and more intimate ending in which Pitt walks carefully to outwit a single zombie.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Lerner believes that without smarter management, enterprises will face spiraling bills and strained infrastructure.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The governor said that the suspect is believed to have acted alone.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One miscue was a fumble into the end zone from the two-yard line, which thwarted a long drive late in the third quarter.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Kansas City Royals arrived in Philadelphia looking to thwart the red-hot Phillies and keep alive their slim playoff hopes.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-guess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guess. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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