deliberating

verb

present participle of deliberate
as in pondering
to give serious and careful thought to the jury deliberated the case for three days before returning a verdict

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 deliberating Desronvil was the only deliberating juror on the 12-person panel who voted to convict Clancy. — Michael Ruiz , Kayleigh McEnany, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Lawyers for both sides presented their closing arguments Wednesday, before the jury began deliberating. — Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 The university's faculty is expected to begin deliberating a resolution of no confidence Wednesday. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 Jurors continued deliberating on whether Martin and Payton were guilty of second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter in the deaths of Martinez, Alexander and Davis, or if the men acted in self-defense. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The jury reported they were deadlocked 11-1 after deliberating for six days. — Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 Oral surgery encompasses a significant range of procedures, making one’s choice of oral surgeon worth deliberating over. — Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Jurors are deliberating White’s federal bribery charges related to his August 2024 arrest by the FBI in Navy Yard. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026 Hauntingly, while the jury in the Clancy case was deliberating, a Will County mother of four was arrested in the hanging death of her 2-year-old son. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deliberating
  1. pondering
  2. contemplating
  3. debating
  4. considering
  5. studying
  6. entertaining
  7. questioning
  8. weighing
Verb
  • Newsom, however, is pondering a 2028 run for the White House.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Liberty Bell, with its famous crack, hasn’t been rung in 180 years, but that hasn’t stopped scientists from pondering what the bell might have sounded like when tolling.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pondering
Verb
  • For eight days in April, along the rocky coastline in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the new president of Georgetown University spent time at a Jesuit retreat center, quietly contemplating the task before him.
    — Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The offer came at a time when Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and many other public school districts in Florida, have closed or consolidated schools and are contemplating even more closures.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemplating
Verb
  • The Presbyterian seminary student made the comment while debating legislation related to transgender people participating in school sports.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Agree On Decision Criteria First Agree on the decision criteria before debating the decision.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of debating
Verb
  • However, experts cautioned against considering ammonia a globally sustainable maritime fuel because its global fuel network is not yet fully developed.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Patients considering care abroad should also research the clinic, the practitioner's training and experience, the products being used, emergency procedures and what follow-up care would be available if complications develop after returning home.
    — Kristine Lazar, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of considering
Verb
  • During the season, officials spend more than 30 hours a week studying video and the rulebook, according to the NFL.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Junior Kelsey Chandler, who is studying to become a private pilot, said the program has pushed her outside of her comfort zone.
    — Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of studying
Verb
  • The layout is geared toward indoor-outdoor living, with ample space for relaxing and entertaining across four decks.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The phone encounters were conceived before the pandemic, but once quarantine began, the idea of entertaining people through interactive phone plays really began to pick up steam.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertaining
Verb
  • The home’s dissolving interior boundary suits an artist who has spent her career questioning where humans fit within the vastness of space and time.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The hiding place was disclosed by a third suspect during questioning.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of questioning
Verb
  • With resurgent inflation and traders weighing the Fed's next move, any signal on the rate path could ripple through the equities, bond and currency markets.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For someone weighing a move, uncertainty raises the stakes, and a longer list of openings offers little reassurance that the next job will be a better match.
    — Owen Humphries, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of weighing

Browse Nearby Words

deliberates
deliberating
deliberation
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Cite this Entry

“Deliberating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deliberating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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