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
Now, fans are speculating that one of the world’s most famous power couples, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, could make a joint appearance at fashion’s biggest night.
—
Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 4 May 2026
There were times, between when the film was shot in 2021 and its period of post-production limbo, when crew members were openly speculating about it never seeing the light of day.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 May 2026
One fan account called @beyscatalog on X alleged that the singer's next album will be announced in connection to the Met Gala, speculating that a lead single release could be scheduled for next month and a full album released this summer.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
People started speculating that the two rekindled their romance, after she was spotted in the stands at one of his races in May 2025.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Prior to Trump’s statement, few if any were speculating on such a solution.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Gamow and Stern made a joke of it, speculating that perhaps new cars were continuously being made on the building’s roof and sent down for storage in the basement.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The second the news dropped that Joy Division/New Order were finally entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, fans began speculating about what might happen the night of the induction ceremony.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
But Zeigler’s attorneys are only speculating in their latest request.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 4 May 2026
There were times, between when the film was shot in 2021 and its period of post-production limbo, when crew members were openly speculating about it never seeing the light of day.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 May 2026
One fan account called @beyscatalog on X alleged that the singer's next album will be announced in connection to the Met Gala, speculating that a lead single release could be scheduled for next month and a full album released this summer.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
People started speculating that the two rekindled their romance, after she was spotted in the stands at one of his races in May 2025.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Prior to Trump’s statement, few if any were speculating on such a solution.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Gamow and Stern made a joke of it, speculating that perhaps new cars were continuously being made on the building’s roof and sent down for storage in the basement.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
The second the news dropped that Joy Division/New Order were finally entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, fans began speculating about what might happen the night of the induction ceremony.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
But Zeigler’s attorneys are only speculating in their latest request.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speculating
Verb
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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
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
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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
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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
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Even supposing the pledges in the 1990s documents amounted to a crime, the legal deadline for bringing mortgage fraud charges has expired.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Speculating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speculating. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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