presume

verb

pri-ˈzüm How to pronounce presume (audio)
Definition of presumenext
1
as in to assume
to form an opinion from little or no evidence I presume you'll fly if you do go

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to say
to take as true or as a fact without actual proof we should presume that a person is innocent until proven guilty

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 presume Throwing a stiff arm on Patrick Mahomes’ presumed flavor of choice is hardly tasteless. — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 79% of the state’s jail population are unsentenced and waiting for trial, meaning the vast majority of inmates in jail are people still presumed innocent. — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Biological parents who create embryos are presumed to be the parents in any dispute. — Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 An indictment contains only allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for presume
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presume
  1. assume
  2. say
  3. guess
  4. believe
  5. suppose
  6. think
  7. suspect
Verb
  • Goldman’s model assumes SMIC will add between 30,000 and 50,000 advanced-node wafers in monthly capacity each year from 2026 through 2031.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Golden Tempo, meanwhile, assumed his position near the back of the field as his deep closing style has delivered huge glory in the past.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of assume
Verb
  • Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If the show is now being repositioned as just for people who are fresh out of design school or who have made just one or two gowns before (like, cough, our beloved Jude), then say that.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of say
Verb
  • Trust grows when transformation is communicated clearly instead of left for others to guess.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 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
Definition of guess
Verb
  • Flowers, who has been sidelined from practice in recent days, is believed to be dealing with a minor hamstring injury.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Lamas claimed that Jackie believed that there was a link between her husband’s death and that of Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of believe
Verb
  • What’s most difficult about this is the notion it was never supposed to be this way.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But the express option is not supposed to be a CTA competitor, the Flyer team said, pitching the train as a ride centered around the needs of air travelers, including luggage racks and even the option to check baggage to their final destination.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppose
Verb
  • And think about Afghanistan as well, a huge military advantage there, but as US forces were finally being pulled out of there, the Taliban were once again taking control.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Two workers at Germany's Frankfurt airport who caught malaria from a mosquito thought to have arrived on a plane have died, the city's health authority said this week.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • Federal authorities have criminally charged some traders suspected of using insider information to profit on sites, but the cases have mostly started with referrals from Kalshi and its main competitor, Polymarket.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But Khalatian said many of them, including himself, didn’t suspect the stench was coming from the landfill.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspect

Browse Nearby Words

presumably
presume
presumed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All