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as in to speculate (about)
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-guess
The challenge for prosecutors Prosecutors generally face an uphill battle when charging police officers, as juries tend to be reluctant to second-guess officers acting in the heat of the moment, the legal experts said.
—
Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
And Walia noticed that even the sharpest business minds will second-guess themselves while working at McKinsey.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
However, others might second-guess themselves, replay conversations or outsource decisions to everyone around them.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Valentine’s Day has a way of making even the most confident gift-givers second-guess themselves.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
And Walia noticed that even the sharpest business minds will second-guess themselves while working at McKinsey.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
However, others might second-guess themselves, replay conversations or outsource decisions to everyone around them.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Valentine’s Day has a way of making even the most confident gift-givers second-guess themselves.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-guess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guess
Verb
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No one knows for sure, and older investors are often better served by accepting that uncertainty rather than trying to outguess it.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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With the right guardrails in place, investors don't have to outguess the market.—
Chris Stevens,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There’s also the Travelon Anti-theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag designed to outsmart pickpockets, plus the Taygeer Travel Backpack that can easily replace your carry-on.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2026
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Williams did not play the cool heel or try to outsmart everyone.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Detectives are canvassing the neighborhood, reviewing surveillance footage and analyzing digital data, including cellphone information, according to Arizona police.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite being outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Washington maintained order among his demoralized troops.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
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Frady is caught in something confusing and unexpected, his stance of paranoid preparedness unable to outmaneuver this, and what’s coming.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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World models allow systems to build a task specific representation of reality, allowing systems to reason over what matters instead of recomputing understanding from scratch at every step.—
Abhas Ricky,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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Her adrenal gland would begin to work overtime and she’d be lifted up, energized, hunted, and desperate to outwit her attacker and survive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The actor believed the spot was caused by his lymphoma, but later found out the tumor was actually unrelated.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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That was believed to be just the first and second time that a parent was held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting committed by their child.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the 27th minute, diving to his left to thwart Juninho Vieira.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Prince and Princess of Wales’ statement came ahead of William’s three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, which kicked off on Monday—likely in an attempt to thwart any questions about the issue while the future king is abroad.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-guess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guess. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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