as in speculation
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1
as in assuming
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
though she does not speak with an accent, I would still guess that she is a foreigner
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in thinking
to have as an opinion
I never would have guessed that she was capable of such a terrible thing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guessing
Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
Consistent filters build stronger leadership habits and reduce second-guessing after the decision is made.
—Fazila Shahid, Miami Herald, 13 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
Guerin and his staff received their share of second-guessing for roster decisions, such as leaving some top American goal scorers off the team, including Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Serial killers have played peek-a-boo guessing games with investigators, and the names and whereabouts of some of their victims are never to be known.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
As part of her exit interview for the disguised celebrity guessing game, Entertainment Weekly wanted to get her side of the story.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
The best outcome can — and should — be built without power struggles, second-guessing, or undercutting.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
There is a famous idea that large groups can be good at guessing simple things, like — like the weight of a bull.
—Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
His five-pitch mix kept the Angels guessing.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Rotary Club President Judi LaPoint said most ticket sales usually come in the final weeks, when people feel confident guessing the melt date.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Levy leads a smart cast including the great Laurie Metcalfe, Taylor Ortega and Elizabeth Perkins, and the snappy scripts and zany plot twists and turns keep the audience guessing.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s why seasoned traders tend to focus more on controlling risk than on guessing market changes perfectly.
—Felysha Walker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
That gig looked like a potential sign where Owen might be going after leaving Grey Sloan in the finale but, to Teddy’s relief, Owen turned down the offer (at least for now), leaving us guessing how the two characters would be written off.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
But Diver was heartbroken to learn that guessing cost her group a tenting spot.
—Storey Wertheimer, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
Like the northern lights, comet visibility is a big guessing game.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
Consistent filters build stronger leadership habits and reduce second-guessing after the decision is made.
—Fazila Shahid, Miami Herald, 13 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
Guerin and his staff received their share of second-guessing for roster decisions, such as leaving some top American goal scorers off the team, including Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Serial killers have played peek-a-boo guessing games with investigators, and the names and whereabouts of some of their victims are never to be known.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
As part of her exit interview for the disguised celebrity guessing game, Entertainment Weekly wanted to get her side of the story.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
The best outcome can — and should — be built without power struggles, second-guessing, or undercutting.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
The playful breed-guessing challenge has captivated dog lovers, highlighting how diverse mixed-breed dogs can be—and how much personality can hint at ancestry.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
There is a famous idea that large groups can be good at guessing simple things, like — like the weight of a bull.
—Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
His five-pitch mix kept the Angels guessing.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Rotary Club President Judi LaPoint said most ticket sales usually come in the final weeks, when people feel confident guessing the melt date.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Levy leads a smart cast including the great Laurie Metcalfe, Taylor Ortega and Elizabeth Perkins, and the snappy scripts and zany plot twists and turns keep the audience guessing.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s why seasoned traders tend to focus more on controlling risk than on guessing market changes perfectly.
—Felysha Walker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
That gig looked like a potential sign where Owen might be going after leaving Grey Sloan in the finale but, to Teddy’s relief, Owen turned down the offer (at least for now), leaving us guessing how the two characters would be written off.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
But Diver was heartbroken to learn that guessing cost her group a tenting spot.
—Storey Wertheimer, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guessing
Noun
-
The reason Cipriani moved against Shell the first time remains a matter of speculation.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Only Murders in the Building star previously addressed speculation about changes in her appearance and mannerisms, attributing the differences to her ongoing battle with lupus and her bipolar disorder diagnosis.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The researchers suggest that future batteries may need to account for this dynamic behavior rather than assuming a stable internal structure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Alfredo Delgadillo has been promoted to CEO & President, Universal Music Latin Entertainment, assuming oversight of Universal Music Latino in the United States, while continuing to lead Universal Music Mexico and the Regional Mexican label Fono.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile security lines have ballooned with officials estimating wait times could reach four hours.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
At San Diego International Airport, a Thursday Union-Tribune story quoted one officer as estimating that 13% of his colleagues aren’t showing up.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Focus on the craft in front of you without thinking of its hypothetical audience.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But as these researchers are the first to admit, the difficulty of defining intelligence is as old as the study of thinking itself—and has plagued artificial intelligence as a field from its very earliest days.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His practical advice fares better than both his theories and his pallid attempts at profundity.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Behavior change theory includes a tenant of measurement known as social norms.—
Matt Parrott,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some of it is figuring it out as the game goes on, finding hitters’ weaknesses and knowing how to match that.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
And some have backed off from a legal fight altogether and sold their refund rights to investment firms, often at a deep discount, figuring that getting something is better than risk getting nothing.—
Alison Graham Larson,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump launched this conflict believing that Iran was weak, and that a short, sharp campaign would force a new leader to terms.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Not like the spring of 2021, with poor Chris Woodward trying his darndest to talk us into believing Joey Gallo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kyle Gibson were the makings of something big.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guessing. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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