guesswork

noun

Definition of guessworknext
as in speculation
the act or process of finding an answer by guessing This book takes the guesswork out of buying a home. Calculating the drug's long-term effects is pure guesswork.

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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 guesswork The Digital Tire Gauge takes the guesswork out of tire pressure readings. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, Matt Boldy gets to skate with Joel Eriksson Ek and Blake Coleman, two veterans whose games come with considerably less guesswork. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Companies need access to senior-level financial judgment when the stakes become too high for guesswork. — Loran Armstrong, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Adjustable mattresses were meant to make some of that guesswork easier, but the category has long been associated with airbeds that change firmness by increasing or decreasing pressure inside the mattress. — Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guesswork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guesswork
  1. speculation
  2. inference
  3. conjecture
  4. theory
Noun
  • Lisa Fabregas The Fabregas family was flooded with Facebook messages offering help and others fueling speculation.
    — Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • That of course led to knee-jerk speculation that Rice was in contention to either oversee or share power with WarnerMount motion picture co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of speculation
Noun
  • The company’s product information states that inference runs locally on the robot without requiring a cloud connection.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Mock-model services can simulate responses, latency, token metadata and failures without repeatedly generating real inference.
    — Pritam Debnath, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of inference
Noun
  • On its surface, the conjecture concerns the behavior of a particular function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • After Jones shined during his first start, the Gators’ quarterback decision will be scrutinized and dissected, fueling two weeks of endless conjecture leading up to the Georgia game.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of conjecture
Noun
  • Framing theory explains how the presentation of information in the media influences the way people process and interpret it.
    — Heather LaMarre, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • His theory didn’t reach far beyond Japan until the translation of his original essay, first in 1978, then in 2005, and again, with Mori’s approval, in 2012.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of theory

Browse Nearby Words

guesstimating
guesswork
guest
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Cite this Entry

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

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