GUESSING Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

guessing 1 of 2

noun

as in speculation

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guessing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of guess

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in thinking

to have as an opinion I never would have guessed that she was capable of such a terrible thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

At first glance, the second-guessing commenced as Leading Change had only two career starts to his credit. — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The tour kicked off in Los Angeles as part of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, with each stop featuring a different guessing game created for each market. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 The trick is to avoid second-guessing, worrying, griping or doing other things that waste time, according to Schore. — CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 All that guessing will create herding and noise trading as the crowd chases the crowd like a dog chases its tail, in a futile attempt to get ahead of the next unpredictable change in what humors the Big Player. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 In addition to being a fun interactive guessing game, the company said the cookie lover who guesses the flavor correctly will win a $25,000 grand prize. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Moving in together won’t guarantee a perfect relationship, but honest conversations before and after the boxes are unpacked can make sharing a home feel more like a partnership than a guessing game. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 29 July 2026 But therapists say honest conversations before and after move-in day can make sharing a home feel much more like a partnership than a guessing game. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026 Petite Summer Dresses Shopping for dresses online can feel like a stressful guessing game where the loser ends up at the tailor. — Mariana Best, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Verb

That’s 1 point for me immediately taken away for losing to the Bot, who gets 2 for guessing in two and 1 for beating me. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 But will the new Fed boss keep investors guessing on the central bank’s rate path and his views on the Treasury’s intervention in the bond market? — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Weigh food with a kitchen scale rather than guessing with a scoop. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Not Netflix‘s The Whisper Man, though, which doesn’t need the extra time and sails by in under two hours as a movie in a pulsating pace that keeps us engaged and guessing from beginning to end. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 Their performances keep the audience guessing about both characters until Holloway finally brings the pieces together in a tremendously satisfying finale. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Kubiak apparently wants to keep Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza guessing about their status on the depth chart. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The Chiefs’ running game was so listless that defenses ignored fake handoffs and instead retreated to defend the pass, knowing the consequences of guessing wrong weren’t all that punishing anyway. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Archie gives Winter Park multiple dimensions at QB, which will allow the Wildcats to keep opposing defenses guessing. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guessing

Noun

Earlier this summer, speculation regarding Ariana Grande’s weight and body image reached a fever pitch after the singer announced her retreat from public life following the ending of her ongoing tour next week.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
On Wednesday, Variety published a story noting that a slate of high-profile clients has departed from UTA, putting the agency on edge and leading to speculation about whether other big names will jump to rival agencies.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of speculation

Verb

Coronated at age 3 after his father’s death, the curious boy king in colorful robes mesmerized world leaders and ruled through regents until assuming full authority at 18.

— Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
At those levels, assuming no additional charges, paying off the debt while making minimum payments could take nearly 27 years and cost nearly $13,000 in interest alone, according to Bankrate's credit card calculator.

— Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of assuming

Verb

Under a local payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, SpaceX will make a $20 million upfront payment and at least $25 million annually for 25 years, with the state estimating more than $820 million in direct local payments under the agreement.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
The estimating work was performed over just three days and autonomously, meaning ground operators did not participate.

— Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of estimating

Noun

The lipstick index is an economic theory holding that sales of affordable discretionary spending or luxuries skyrocket when consumers believe an economic recession is impending.

— Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Yet Turing’s theory of computation wasn’t really about computers, at least not at first.

— Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of theory

Verb

In the r/Solidcore subreddit, one expressed frustration with the fitness studio’s lack of communication after suspecting their ringworm infection came from the Downtown Brooklyn location.

— Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 14 July 2026
Oceanside Police Captain Nick Nunez told KNSD that officers are not suspecting foul play.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

Definition of suspecting

Verb

Julie Pierre, the 21-year-old owner of Roll and Dough, which operates out of a commissary kitchen in Sunrise, took to social media after the rolls went missing, initially believing they had been stolen.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
For the past four years, Mann has taken her three children, now 16, 14 and 12, out of school for major trips around the world, believing travel plays an important role in raising smart, well-rounded kids.

— Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of believing

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guesses

guessing

guesstimate

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“Guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guessing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of guessing

noun

verb

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