as in guesses
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence
the many conjectures about the true identity of Jack the Ripper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in estimates
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
he conjectured that the theater could seat 1000 people more or less
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assumes
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
you're only conjecturing that he was the culprit
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 conjectures
Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
With few clear signals about who has influence and how decisions are made, the halls of power in Beijing are fertile ground for political conjectures.
—Deng Yuwen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
This is an intense ongoing study and there are many conjectures.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Amenabar seems to root his screenplay on conjectures about the writer’s sexuality, which many scholars consider latterday projection.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
For one thing, Kontsevich is known for taking a high-level approach to mathematics, preferring to pose ambitious conjectures and sketch out broad programs, often leaving the subtler details and formal proof-writing to others.
—Verb
There’s no end to conjectures about William Shakespeare’s life because there isn’t all that much definitive Shakespeareana to rake over.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for conjectures
Noun
-
But conclusions are guesses, not guides.—
-
Those are all good guesses, because who else would carry that amount of cash in a shoebox and wait on a main street to hand it over to a complete stranger?—
Verb
-
Without the tax credits, premiums for ACA enrollees who previously relied on the subsidies will increase by an average of 114%, estimates KFF, a nonprofit provider of health policy news and research.—
-
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages Texas’ power grid, currently estimates energy demand will surge 71% by 2031 due to data center growth.—
Verb
-
Yet his rhetoric assumes that Jewish identity is synonymous with privilege, that Jewish concerns are secondary — or suspect.—
-
The literary record assumes the same.—
Noun
-
Those are, indeed, pat, credible theories and predictions.—
-
But now, in the planet’s capital city of Apperax, a murder is committed with no suspects, forensics or theories.—
Verb
-
Saleh figures to be choosy about which jobs to pursue.—
-
In the aftermath of Mamdani’s election success, progressive candidates are starting to emerge as primary challengers to more moderate Democrats in this year’s midterm elections, and the topic of Israel figures to play a role in those congressional races.—
Verb
-
Leo’s fine, one supposes, as evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, but the role is not a natural fit for him.—
-
The first theory supposes that the Big Bang produced dense spots that didn’t collapse immediately.—
Verb
-
The analysis calculates retirement expenses based on the Department of Labor’s Consumer Expenditure Surveys, among other sources.—
-
The Department of Finance, which calculates its projections differently, is expected to estimate a smaller deficit than the LAO.—
Cite this Entry
“Conjectures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conjectures. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share