as in to contemplate
to give serious and careful thought to
I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee
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Recent Examples of ponder
Just pondering the logistics of building and running La Selva was as incredible to me as the nature that surrounded us.
—
Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026
That’s a question Leonardo DiCaprio is pondering.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
While fast-casual salad chains like Sweetgreen already existed on the East Coast, Saunders began to ponder new ways to peddle lettuce across the heartland.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
Early in their planning for the trip to Alaska, the couple pondered taking a cruise.
—Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponder
Verb
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But the new documents show that the school has been contemplating the possibility of a move for more than a year.—
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After contemplating very deeply and carefully for many long hours attempting to discern a plausible alternative explanation for the rhetoric and the policies, what is the only thing that a reasonable person can conclude?—
Verb
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If that sounds hyperbolic, consider that Independence offensive coordinator Marlon Barnett has compared Resar to former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, who was the 14th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.—
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Since the two pieces are such versatile staples, consider this your sign to add similar dress pants and pumps to your own wardrobe.—
Verb
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Washington Post food critic Elazar Sontag entertains your restaurant questions, rants and raves.—
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In The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Mirren played Georgia, the wife of crime boss Albert Spica (Michael Gambon), who comes to La Hollandaise to be entertained every night.—
Verb
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Opposite a serene Rooney Mara and a raging Claire Foy, Buckley is a lone dissenting voice in Sarah Polley’s heart-wrenching portrait of a group of women and girls in an isolated Mennonite colony who are debating how to respond to a series of brutal attacks from the men in their community.—
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The band was the first to sanction fan taping at their concerts, spawning an abundance of homespun recordings that have been collected, traded and debated for decades.—
Verb
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How Palestinian students adapted to studying in a genocide.—
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The Water Utilities has to study demographics and costs once the first two questions are answered.—
Verb
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England only played one warm-up match before the series, against an England Lions team, while McCullum’s attack-minded philosophy has also been questioned amid a number of hapless dismissals during the series.—
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The striking parallels between the two regimes have led many observers to turn their attention to Iran and question whether the ailing Khamenei could face a similar fate.—
Cite this Entry
“Ponder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponder. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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