as in assumes
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 speculates
Since glaciers didn’t flow right into Salisbury, the study speculates the stone, thought to have served as an altar, was deposited hundreds of miles east, beneath what is now the North Sea.
—
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 June 2026
O’Farrell speculates, reasonably, that Hamnet may have been a victim of bubonic plague, and her book centers on the family’s grief in the aftermath of his death.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The purpose of manganese in the region below the aculeus, the team speculates, is probably to improve the flexibility and absorption of vibrations.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
But Mehl speculates that modern information technologies have played a large role.
—Markham Heid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
As for what’s next, Puck speculates that another season 1 writer will be elevated to showrunner if the show is renewed.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Portnoy also speculates that the backlash for the Unwell Winter Games and Sofia Franklyn’s upcoming memoir is adding fuel to the Cooper fire.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Larson speculates that sports betting has become so popular.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
If, Algeo speculates, the knife is still in the custody of the Philadelphia Police Department, it could be tested with modern-day forensic technology.
—Annalise Peterson, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 June 2026
O’Farrell speculates, reasonably, that Hamnet may have been a victim of bubonic plague, and her book centers on the family’s grief in the aftermath of his death.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The purpose of manganese in the region below the aculeus, the team speculates, is probably to improve the flexibility and absorption of vibrations.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
But Mehl speculates that modern information technologies have played a large role.
—Markham Heid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
As for what’s next, Puck speculates that another season 1 writer will be elevated to showrunner if the show is renewed.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
Portnoy also speculates that the backlash for the Unwell Winter Games and Sofia Franklyn’s upcoming memoir is adding fuel to the Cooper fire.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Larson speculates that sports betting has become so popular.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
If, Algeo speculates, the knife is still in the custody of the Philadelphia Police Department, it could be tested with modern-day forensic technology.
—Annalise Peterson, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculates
Verb
-
The phrase assumes that fatness belongs firmly in the past, yet the very need for such a term suggests otherwise.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
My thesis simply assumes that geopolitical risk, tight inventories, and lingering supply disruption keep crude supported enough to prevent a deeper breakdown in energy equities.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
This adds another layer of protection if someone steals or guesses your password.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Hoyt Purinton, owner of the only ferry line from the mainland, guesses the percentage is in the low single digits.—
Charles Usher,
Midwest Living,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Farrell supposes that no high school baseball team in the nation has traveled as much as Orange Lutheran has.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
-
Leo’s fine, one supposes, as evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, but the role is not a natural fit for him.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And anyone who thinks those in the top brackets are modeling good behavior is not paying attention.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
But Canaccord Genuity thinks investors should ignore the decline and get into the stock now.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
This is also adjusted for an actual FIFA capacity at Hard Rock of 64,091, and, again, presumes the games there will be sold out.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
One vision imagines a future that is increasingly automated, optimized, digitized, and controlled by a small number of powerful technology platforms.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
One imagines the narrator of the Proclaimers’ most maniacal hit undertaking their 500-mile journey with a double dose of Vyvanse.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Evans surmises the fish that survived were in an area of the creek where less charred material and sediment were swept in.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Upon entering the house, Donnie surmises there is an orgy-type party going on.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Li suspects that the paddle shape doesn’t collect as many photons as a fan shape.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
10 June 2026
-
Stuart suspects higher oil prices will need to rise quickly to incentivize further emergency oil releases and to encourage the world to consume less.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speculates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculates. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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