CONTEMPLATED Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

contemplated

verb

past tense of contemplate

as in pondered

to give serious and careful thought to she contemplated the problem for several hours before reaching a decision

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in planned

to have in mind as a purpose or goal he waited patiently, contemplating revenge all the while

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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 contemplated Cathy, a housewife, had contemplated becoming a teacher, Griffin told me. — Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 The landowners contemplated building a combination gas station/convenience store, but the property wasn’t quite large enough, Barry said. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026 In 1947, the United Nations adopted a partition plan that contemplated two states, one Jewish and one Arab. — Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026 Nearly every day this offseason, Turner contemplated his baseball mortality. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 15 May 2026 Setting the table Regional leaders contemplated that very possibility before the West Sacramento minor league park was ever built. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026 Following the completion of her fifth season, Powell initially contemplated returning for a sixth year as a DCC — but ultimately decided to hang up her boots and retire. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Senate Republicans briefly contemplated a measure that would have provided a billion dollars to bolster ballroom security, but that provision has since been dropped from a larger GOP bill. — Arden Farhi, CBS News, 28 May 2026 The effect of Greenspan’s artistry was to alter permanently the way the capital markets function, and to extend the Fed’s influence more deeply into the economy than Congress ever contemplated – and certainly far beyond any Constitutional remit. — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemplated

Verb

Last week began in a slump as investors pondered whether memory chip maker Micron would show sustained demand in its earnings report.

— Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Plunkett, with the Norman Rockwell Museum, pondered whether Americans viewing the painting today would find a familiar feeling.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Definition of pondered

Verb

Nunez said investigators planned to interview an employee who was working at the business when the blaze began.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
Following the exercise, the Royal Navy capability team and the Air and Space Warfare Centre began analyzing the results, with additional testing potentially planned aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026

Definition of planned

Verb

Georgia’s most influential dishes could be debated vigorously, but there’s no question that food has been an integral part of the South’s culture.

— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 4 July 2026
Roberts noted that race and citizenship had been fiercely debated in courts, speeches, Congress and battlefields because of Black Americans’ fight for freedom from slavery.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of debated

Verb

Those drums did not stop once over the course of a 90-minute match, even though the team they were intended to support not only did not score but did not come particularly close.

— Sam McDowell Updated July 3, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
The letter did not explain the pause, but suggested it may have been intended to preserve evidence.

— Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of intended

Verb

The court's 6-3 ruling, issued Tuesday, June 30, ensures that children born in the country are considered Americans.

— Mike Snider, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Legislators last year updated the law to clarify that even if businesses don’t communicate directly but use algorithmic pricing software that leads to them charging a common rate, that could still be considered price-fixing.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of considered

Verb

The royal 'fab four' is born After years of third-wheeling, Prince Harry found love with Meghan Markle and proposed to her in November 2017.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026
This style has royal roots, and is in the same style as the ring Napoleon allegedly proposed to Joséphine with in 1796.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026

Definition of proposed

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contemplate

contemplated

contemplates

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“Contemplated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemplated. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of contemplated

verb

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