Surmises

Surmises refers to making a supposition about something based on incomplete information. It's a process of forming an opinion or belief that goes beyond the immediately known facts, often relying on intuition, educated guesses, or circumstantial evidence. These conclusions are typically presented tentatively, acknowledging the possibility of error. The act of surmising involves piecing together fragments of information and interpreting them to arrive at a plausible explanation, even if definitive proof is lacking. It emphasizes the speculative nature of the thought process, indicating that the derived conclusions are subject to change upon the availability of new evidence or a different perspective. A surmise can be a fleeting thought or the foundation of a more elaborate theory. The key element of surmising is the inherent uncertainty; the conclusion is not presented as a certainty but as the most likely scenario given the current information.

Surmises meaning with examples

• Detectives, lacking concrete evidence, could only *surmise* about the killer's motive, considering various possibilities like revenge or financial gain. Their current strategy relied heavily on these initial surmises. The details they had gathered were not solid enough to make a definitive call but were enough to shape how they planned to move forward in the investigation and create a list of suspects.
• After seeing her friend's withdrawn behavior, Sarah could only *surmise* that she was going through a difficult time. Although it was only a hunch, Sarah wanted to see how her friend was doing, which would help her put her surmises to rest. Being a good friend, she decided to reach out and offer her support, allowing her friend the opportunity to share if she wanted to.
• Based on the shadows and whispers heard from the other side of the wall, the child *surmised* that a monster was hiding in the closet. Her imagination ran wild with various surmises about what dangers lay behind that innocent-looking door. The uncertainty fueled her fear. The child considered the possibility of a very scary creature.
• Reading the cryptic email, the employee *surmised* that a company restructuring was imminent. The specific language, the tone, and the vague references gave rise to his surmises. Despite the lack of an explicit confirmation, he shared his suspicion with his colleagues, bracing himself for the potential changes that could affect his role within the company.