guesswork

noun

Definition of guessworknext
as in speculation
the act or process of finding an answer by guessing This book takes the guesswork out of buying a home. Calculating the drug's long-term effects is pure guesswork.

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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 guesswork To take out the guesswork, both Funk and Vater recommend checking the soil regularly and watering when the top inch feels dry. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026 Magic Capture takes the guesswork out of when to press the shutter button. — ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 Taking the guesswork out of watering leads to healthier plants and less water waste, making gardening less stressful. — Gretchen M. Stone, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 Predictable routines take the guesswork out of a stressful hour. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guesswork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guesswork
  1. speculation
  2. inference
  3. conjecture
  4. theory
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
Noun
  • Monetization through ads will help OpenAI partially cover the cost of generating inference for a query and stem the company's losses, experts said.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers then use classifier guidance at inference time to steer the diffusion model toward objectives that were not included during training.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of inference
Noun
  • That conjecture could be broken down into two separate problems.
    — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The American public distrusts its legal institutions and media outlets, creating a vacuum in which wild conjecture can bloom.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of conjecture
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

Browse Nearby Words

guesstimating
guesswork
guest
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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