deduce

as in to derive
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word deduce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of deduce are conclude, gather, infer, and judge. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to deduce?

The words conclude and deduce can be used in similar contexts, but conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

When can gather be used instead of deduce?

The words gather and deduce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

When could infer be used to replace deduce?

While the synonyms infer and deduce are close in meaning, infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

When is judge a more appropriate choice than deduce?

While in some cases nearly identical to deduce, judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

Examples 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 deduce With the help of their own personal murder board wall, Levy, Galifianakis and Longoria deduced that all of the Arconia’s unsolved mysteries — such as who poisoned Winnie, and who left those menacing notes on Oliver and Jan’s doors — can be traced back to the same, left-handed individual. Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 14 Oct. 2024 Akiko is quickly able to deduce what the audience has known all along. Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024 After reviewing the historical evidence, archaeologists deduced that the knight was probably Yeardley. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 The show had primed us for months for an unprecedented finale, and many viewers had deduced that would mean Jenn proposing to her man. Dylan Scott, Vox, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deduce 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deduce
Verb
  • The original data was derived from the Terra Property Trust Inc. 6.00% Notes due 2026 quarterly 10-Q report dated November 8, 2024.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Cannabis refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
    Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • If not, it’s understood that the host will treat the group.
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • The opportunity to understand what went wrong vanished when Onyxx was cremated.
    Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Unfortunately, for this exact reason, the studios decided to steer clear of the second weekend of November, which means there’s nothing else to talk about.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
  • Several important House races have still yet to be decided.
    Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The unexpected destinations, plus Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally last weekend in deep-blue New York, has led some Republicans to infer that Trump is overruling the political pros on his team.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Relative genotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons inferred from free energy perturbation approaches.
    Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near deduce

Cite this Entry

“Deduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deduce. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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