figure out

verb

figured out; figuring out; figures out
Synonyms of figure outnext

transitive verb

1
: discover, determine
try to figure out a way to do it
2
: solve, fathom
figure out a problem

Synonyms of figure out

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Examples of figure out in a Sentence

a book of brainteasers that even a really clever person won't have an easy time figuring out
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For most of us, wedding-gift etiquette is figuring out whether the newlyweds already have a blender. — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026 Jović is still yet to figure out the sequences of games that require the same steadiness as potentially set-ending ones. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 July 2026 Let’s travel path two and figure out how this career part timer doesn’t have to put the rest of their life on hold while the dream career is still TBD. — Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 American doctors are so conspicuously well-paid that a group of economic researchers spent years trying to figure out why. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for figure out

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of figure out was in 1825

Rhymes for figure out

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Browse Nearby Words

figure on
figure out
figurer
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Cite this Entry

“Figure out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20out. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

figure out

verb
1
: find out, discover
try to figure out a way to do it
2
: solve
figure out a problem

More from Merriam-Webster on figure out

Nglish: Translation of figure out for Spanish Speakers

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