guessing 1 of 2

Definition of guessingnext

guessing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of guess
1
2
as in estimating
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement I would guess the road goes for about two miles before you have to take a left

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Example 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 guessing
Noun
This saves a frustrating guessing game during reinstallation — especially in homes where windows look similar but vary slightly in size. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026 By the afternoon, your confidence grows — no more second-guessing. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 Even the smartest energy insiders on the planet are now doing a fair bit of guessing. Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026 There’s a new wrinkle in the ongoing guessing game of where and when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting married. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026 No guessing, no buying random products because someone on Instagram told you to. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 Like the northern lights, comet visibility is a big guessing game. Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026 That's a lot of hemming and hawing, a lot of second- and triple-guessing, and a bevy of rewatches to gauge the worthiness of being part of a historically significant canon. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026 For both players, there was no second-guessing. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Leave curb-appeal gawkers guessing with a DIY trash bin enclosure with a planter top. Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026 That may have been in part to keep any adversaries (or lone wolves) guessing. Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026 That leaves pilots scanning readings on the dashboard or guessing which side has lost thrust — all as the plane may be losing altitude. James Glanz, New York Times, 1 May 2026 Remember when the Nuggets kept everyone guessing at the end of the regular season by sitting players against the Thunder and the Spurs? Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026 However, plenty of people show no signs at all, which is why blood testing matters more than guessing. Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026 Frey keeps hitters guessing because of his rare ability to throw five different pitches for strikes. Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 Forty-eight hours before Pearlman was guessing the name of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s unborn daughter, back on Hollywood Boulevard, Kimmel downshifted from Donald to Melania. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 Her every moment keeps the audience guessing. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guessing
Noun
  • And supporters are left to fill the silence with speculation, chants and, now, airborne protest banners.
    Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • A lot of reality programming feels like a delivery system for viewer speculation and judgment, often to tremendous entertainment value.
    Todd Gilchrist, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • With a razor-thin majority, the Speaker can afford to lose only two GOP votes on any party-line bill, assuming that all members are present and Democrats are united in opposition.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Providers also can fall victim to inadvertent bias, assuming a young, otherwise healthy patient must be dealing with something other than shingles.
    Alyssa Sparacino, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • However, several experts warn the restrictions could hinder access, with The Urban Institute estimating that the changes may result in up to 10 million people losing Medicaid coverage in the next two years.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 1 May 2026
  • In 2019, the city began working on the bridge again, estimating an $11 million cost and completion by 2023.
    Desiree Mathurin April 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As the Moon moves into Capricorn and your 5th House of Creativity, your focus shifts toward making something real instead of just thinking about it.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2026
  • Hoagland told me to stop thinking.
    Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • The adult world is studied and emulated in a manner that suggests praxis but no theory.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • There is one theory that people may outlive their physical bodies but there may be a way to upload their consciousness into a digital realm where human existence could go on indefinitely.
    John Ramos, CBS News, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Invitees were hoping and suspecting McCartney might pop in for a wave or a comment before or after the listening session.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.
    Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Working with the Calling All Dreamers advisors, Christine Wonderson is figuring how to break the business down into more achievable chunks, rather than trying to do everything at once.
    Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen will need to step up, with Alex Vesia also figuring to factor into Roberts’ late-inning plans.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Caring about future generations means believing that people who will live decades or centuries from now deserve ethical consideration.
    Stylianos Syropoulos, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Like the narrator in the song who’s become bored with his attractive partner, Presley spent several years believing that his relationship with music had lost its spark.
    Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guessing. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on guessing

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster