deduce

as in to derive
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word deduce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deduce are conclude, gather, infer, and judge. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to deduce?

The words conclude and deduce can be used in similar contexts, but conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

When can gather be used instead of deduce?

The words gather and deduce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

When could infer be used to replace deduce?

While the synonyms infer and deduce are close in meaning, infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

When is judge a more appropriate choice than deduce?

While in some cases nearly identical to deduce, judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deduce If among the original target audience only 50% of the HCPs were high-value prescribers, a healthcare marketer would be able to deduce that 75% of their total budget should be allocated to this group—leaving a small, functional budget for the remaining target audience. Kamya Elawadhi, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 The hypothesis may also help researchers deduce why Earth experienced one of its chilliest global deep freezes, which could have been caused by the shadow cast from the ring. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Nov. 2024 Since stars typically form in pairs or triplets, rather than a single star, scientists deduced that binary star systems were orbiting near the black hole, Peissker said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024 In the hospital, Dexter deduces that Harry’s worsening condition is due to the deadly care of Nurse Mary, whom his father then instructs Dexter to kill. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deduce 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deduce
Verb
  • The original data was derived from the Laredo Oil Inc quarterly 10-Q report dated January 17, 2025.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Naturally derived essential oils are difficult to stabilize and can fade or change over time, giving your perfume a shorter shelf life from the first spray to the last.
    Sable Yong, Allure, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • From artificial intelligence transforming workflows to esports energizing learning, Bett 2025 is the must-attend event for anyone who wants to understand and influence the future of education in a rapidly changing world.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Still, Republicans have said that even if that call was accurate, the C.I.A. failed in understanding other key events: how quickly the Afghan government could collapse, how Bashar al-Assad would flee Syria and how Hamas was preparing to attack Israel.
    Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Content creators and influencers must decide what to do with the looming TikTok ban.
    Emma Cortes Ellendt, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The new leadership at the S.E.C. is likely to decide on rules that could significantly increase the value of Ethereum, Bitcoin and tokens at World Liberty Financial.
    Karen Yourish, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Even disabling location services or changing your location within TikTok is unlikely to stop the app from trying to infer an approximate location using other factors (like device settings), which may mean the ban still applies.
    Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Ultimately, people are far better at inferring past events than predicting future ones.
    Jeremy R. Manning, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near deduce

Cite this Entry

“Deduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deduce. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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