speculate
verb (used without object)
to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on, upon, or a clause).
had been speculating
-
past perfect progressiveof speculate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pussycat Dolls fans had been speculating in recent weeks that the US leg of the tour would be cancelled after venue seating charts showed large numbers of unsold seats.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Wall Street had been speculating about a possible breakup or takeover of PayPal even before this week.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
But when Merchant questioned Bradley on Tuesday, asking whether he remembered telling her certain things, he said he did not, said he had been speculating or said she misinterpreted his messages.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
For as long as people had been speculating on Eilish's sexuality, her comments caught people off guard because it seemingly confirmed some of what people had been thinking.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
Although the press in South Africa and around the world had been speculating for weeks that my release was imminent, Mr. de Klerk’s announcement nevertheless came as a surprise to me.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
