as in guessing
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 speculating
Less than 24 hours after news broke of Nina Dobrev and Shaun White’s breakup, fans are speculating that The Vampire Diaries star secretly hinted at her ex cheating on her.
—
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 12 Sep. 2025
Fans have been speculating about the state of the pair's relationship all summer, but the reveal that Paul is the new Bachelorette cements where things stand.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Analysts, meanwhile, have started speculating over what comes next.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 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
Her record-breaking haul has left some observers speculating that Ocasio-Cortez may be eyeing higher office, whether that be a seat in the Senate or a White House run in 2028.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
Trainers appeared to be pushing against it, with some speculating that it was dislocated.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Both Brown and White were the subject of trade speculating leading up to the NBA Draft, but Boston opted to hold onto the two stalwarts.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 12 Sep. 2025
Fans have been speculating about the state of the pair's relationship all summer, but the reveal that Paul is the new Bachelorette cements where things stand.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Analysts, meanwhile, have started speculating over what comes next.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 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
Her record-breaking haul has left some observers speculating that Ocasio-Cortez may be eyeing higher office, whether that be a seat in the Senate or a White House run in 2028.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
Trainers appeared to be pushing against it, with some speculating that it was dislocated.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Both Brown and White were the subject of trade speculating leading up to the NBA Draft, but Boston opted to hold onto the two stalwarts.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
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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At the current high multiple, that translates to about $6–7 billion in profits, or roughly $16 billion in revenue, assuming a 40% net margin—a target consistent with long-term projections.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Allen has to find a way to beat Patrick Mahomes or, more to the point, the Bills have to find a way to beat the Chiefs — assuming Kansas City recovers from its 0-2 start.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Experiencing or even suspecting age discrimination can leave job seekers and employees questioning how to move forward.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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As several people began suspecting Khloe was behind the texts, her parents came to her defense.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Football is exchanging ball control and patient build-up (like Emery has sought) for a more direct, forward-thinking approach once more.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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Stop thinking 'offshore,' start building ecosystems.—
Kevin Cushnie,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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