as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
I speculate that someone has been using this cabin as a trysting place
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Recent Examples of speculate
In the case of the Smurl family, the patriarch’s deteriorating mental health was speculated as the culprit for what was happening at the house.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
The decision drew criticism from IU faculty, students and free-speech advocates, as many speculate that Halaby's pro-Palestinian views were the underlying reason.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025
Alan Dershowitz, the famed attorney who once counted Epstein as a client, submitted a spoof cover of Vanity Fair, tweaked as Vanity Unfair, with fake headlines speculating that Epstein was Jack the Ripper and had financed the terrorist group Al Qaeda.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
The Rare singer confirmed her relationship with Blanco in December 2023 by liking Instagram posts speculating that the two were dating.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculate
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
The decision drew criticism from IU faculty, students and free-speech advocates, as many speculate that Halaby's pro-Palestinian views were the underlying reason.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025
Alan Dershowitz, the famed attorney who once counted Epstein as a client, submitted a spoof cover of Vanity Fair, tweaked as Vanity Unfair, with fake headlines speculating that Epstein was Jack the Ripper and had financed the terrorist group Al Qaeda.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
The Rare singer confirmed her relationship with Blanco in December 2023 by liking Instagram posts speculating that the two were dating.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speculate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculate
Verb
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The Bot gets 1 point for guessing in three and 1 for beating me, so 2 points x2 = 4.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Throughout the early, character-developing scenes, the filmmaker throws in nightmarish visual and aural flourishes, leaving us guessing as to their meaning.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s assuming no more Fed officials are fired, which could change the trajectory of monetary policy for the next few years.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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A lot of people assume that individuals make conscious decisions that lead to these outcomes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Damo doesn’t say anything about how the crew is not supposed to drink with the guests.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
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It’s supposed to be really hard to win Davis Cup ties on foreign soil.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But in total, 475 people, mostly Korean nationals, were arrested, suspected of living and working in the US illegally.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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Foul play isn’t suspected, deputies said.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect who spent forty-three years working on the Sagrada Família, did not think that his work should compete with God’s, so the basilica will remain a few feet lower than the iconic peak of Montjuïc.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Pür’s multitasking powder is infused with a host of skincare-grade ingredients to help blur and minimize texture—think retinol, lactic acid, and antioxidants.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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