as in hypothesis
an idea that is the starting point for making a case or conducting an investigation
set out to prove her theory that people can't really taste any difference between colas, so they buy according to the product's image
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Recent Examples of theory
Trump and the 'unitary executive': The presidential power theory driving his 2nd term
Special focus has been on the potential implications of the case for the Federal Reserve.
—
Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 22 May 2025
Kennedy has a long and lucrative history of promoting theories that are both unfounded (cellphones and Wi-Fi cause cancer) and dangerous (vaccines cause autism).
—Adam M. Lowenstein, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
For example, string theory assumes a certain number of extra dimensions — a number that is not predicted by the theory itself.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 21 May 2025
But that dubious theory has been belied by recent announcements from Trump and his trade officials.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for theory
Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 22 May 2025
Kennedy has a long and lucrative history of promoting theories that are both unfounded (cellphones and Wi-Fi cause cancer) and dangerous (vaccines cause autism).
—Adam M. Lowenstein, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
For example, string theory assumes a certain number of extra dimensions — a number that is not predicted by the theory itself.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 21 May 2025
But that dubious theory has been belied by recent announcements from Trump and his trade officials.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for theory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theory
Noun
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For this storm, my immediate hypothesis was related to dry conditions and outflow boundaries racing northward from thunderstorms to the south.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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According to one popular hypothesis, the pot had eventually boiled over: after eons of frustrated heating, some 800 million years ago, the planet’s outer shell buckled, and Venus’s entire surface was paved over with immense outpourings of fresh lava.—
Elise Cutts,
Scientific American,
13 May 2025
Noun
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That would bode well for Club holding Goldman Sachs’ crucial investment banking segment, which is core to our investment thesis in the stock.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
16 May 2025
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Hernandez injected her Mexican culture into her thesis looks.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theory. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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