pondering 1 of 2

noun

as in contemplation

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pondering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ponder
as in contemplating
to give serious and careful thought to I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee

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 pondering
Noun
All 50 years of craft, thought, thematic pondering — everything. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
Instead, the fast-casual restaurant chain's CEO and co-founder woke up pondering the country's ongoing cyclospora outbreak. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 One lucky Maryland resident might be pondering that after becoming the state's third $1 million winner in the past two weeks. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Engineers spent months pondering the approach in late 2025 and early 2026, when the only antenna that was able to communicate with Voyager 2 was down for repair anyway. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 Lupoi isn’t a guy who spends his evenings pondering philosophy or splitting atoms. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 Blumstein came up with the idea for the OnlyFans account while sitting in a meadow, waiting for marmots to appear and pondering the state of scientific funding for his work. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 But auto industry insiders are already pondering how original equipment manufacturers will react to this democratization of their data. — New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026 Beyond pondering whether to cut Google off, other publishers have resorted to suing the company, accusing it of illegally rehashing their intellectual property via AI summaries. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 23 July 2026 After graduation, Coyne continued taking community college courses while pondering her next steps. — Kerry McDonald, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pondering
  1. contemplation
  2. contemplating
  3. thought
  4. debating
  5. meditation
  6. considering
  7. consideration
  8. studying
Noun
  • Sister Mary Grace, 76, loves the opportunity for contemplation and the chance to express it artistically.
    — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, Serrano’s image is, to me, comparable to an icon, worthy of sincere contemplation.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplation
Verb
  • The central bank, meanwhile, is contemplating raising interest rates later this year, potentially issuing its first hike since 2023.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Earlier, writer-director Lanctôt won two prizes at Venice in 1984 for her first feature, Sonatine, about two teenage girls contemplating suicide.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplating
Noun
  • Here are our thoughts on the initial 53-man roster, with plenty of transactions still to come.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Apparently all that content wasn’t as lost as many thought, though.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of thought
Verb
  • No one in the courtroom is debating Patrick Clancy’s guilt or innocence.
    — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Iran’s parliament is debating a bill to withdraw from the NPT, according to Iranian lawmakers.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of debating
Noun
  • And finally, there’s poor Leighton Vance — or at least a version of Leighton Vance who’s not the CEO of Velocity Tech but the leader of a small meditation group.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • At the Miraval Slumber Party, guests explore their sleep patterns and dreams, then are guided through acupressure exercises, stretching, and meditations with singing bowls.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of meditation
Verb
  • That is meaningful for schools, considering that around 90% of the United States' 480,000 school buses run on diesel.
    — Willa Rubin, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Manish Tibrewal, co-founder of family office Farro Capital, said his firm has seen a sharp pickup in inquiries from Chinese families considering to relocate to Singapore.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of considering
Noun
  • If someone consistently behaves with kindness, generosity, and consideration, even when these behaviors require effort or self-restraint, their motives may be less important than their actions.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For now, the main considerations are cutting benefits for wealthier Americans or eliminating the cap on Social Security's payroll tax.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of consideration
Verb
  • Greyson said nearly five decades of studying near-death experiences has convinced him there is probably something after death.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After studying hospitality in Switzerland and working in New York with chef Daniel Boulud, Kfoury returned to Lebanon, only to live through another war in 2006.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of studying

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Cite this Entry

“Pondering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pondering. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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