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 This guide takes the guesswork out of when to use hot water to wash towels. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 Thankfully, Amazon shoppers took the guesswork out of finding the best one. — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2026 The cushy silhouette is one of those no-fuss numbers that takes the guesswork out of getting ready for the day. — India Roby, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2026 The gestures required to shape a stone tool were precise and difficult to learn through guesswork alone. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guesswork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guesswork
  1. speculation
  2. inference
  3. conjecture
  4. theory
Noun
  • Sánchez's government suffered a bruising legislative defeat last week when right-wing opposition parties voted down emergency decrees introduced by his government to address evictions and real estate speculation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For months, there has been rampant speculation about a possible reunion between Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs — much of it fueled by posts Hill has made on social media.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of speculation
Noun
  • The assumed inference is that travelers rely on Google for their travel needs and that informative brochures and knowledgeable attendants are a quaint idea that has outlived its usefulness.
    — Frank Hosek, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • According to McKinsey, inference is set to surpass training as the most dominant workload in AI data centers by the end of the decade.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inference
Noun
  • Many mathematicians have stopped posting open conjectures and potential ideas at the end of their papers, for fear that they’ll be scraped by bots and fed into AI models.
    — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The lonely runner conjecture predicts that, at some point, a runner will be maximally distant from all the other runners—the saddest, loneliest phase of the race.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of conjecture
Noun
  • Some universities have a long standing tradition of continually testing students’ ability to explain and rationalise their theories.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The defense said the government’s theory is unsupported and urged the judge to dismiss the charges.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 7 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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