as in contemplates
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 ponders
Wyn Baptiste An acclaimed photographer of street protests ponders the effectiveness of his work, even as his images provoke palpable international reactions.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Still, no one is ever confirmed as being in the tomb, and Debbie even ponders whether or not Danny is really dead.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Song broke out with her 2023 drama Past Lives, which follows a woman from Seoul, South Korea, who ponders her relationship with a childhood friend in the decades after her family immigrates to Canada and marries an American man in New York City.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
The research team carefully ponders numerous different inputs for each type of complexity.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Sorrentino’s script cleverly ponders the difference between the truth absorbed up close and the law, which is viewed from a distance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
This is hard science fiction that ponders monumental questions about loyalty, technology and who (or what) deserves to survive.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 Aug. 2025
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Still, no one is ever confirmed as being in the tomb, and Debbie even ponders whether or not Danny is really dead.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Song broke out with her 2023 drama Past Lives, which follows a woman from Seoul, South Korea, who ponders her relationship with a childhood friend in the decades after her family immigrates to Canada and marries an American man in New York City.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
The research team carefully ponders numerous different inputs for each type of complexity.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Sorrentino’s script cleverly ponders the difference between the truth absorbed up close and the law, which is viewed from a distance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
This is hard science fiction that ponders monumental questions about loyalty, technology and who (or what) deserves to survive.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponders
Verb
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In the finale, overwhelmed with guilt, Louis goes to a train station and contemplates suicide.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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Accompanied by tender, understated guitar, Gill contemplates the sacrifices and rewards that come with a life devoted to music.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Passmore reflects on Shakur’s life and considers how her story highlights the broader struggles and resilience of Black activists whose work is marginalized in mainstream histories.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
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Located at the southern end of the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping route connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, Singapore is an international maritime and shipping hub that considers maintaining open sea lines of communication paramount.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The media entertains these questions, in an effort to intellectualize the ideologies underpinning the cult’s bloodlust.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
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The question is whether that hardware expands or merely entertains.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And now, many financial advisors are watching as Congress debates Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies amid the government shutdown.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
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Hashmi, who flipped a suburban Richmond seat in 2019 to become the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia Senate, has not committed to any lieutenant governor debates this cycle.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponders. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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