figure out

verb

Definition of figure outnext
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning a book of brainteasers that even a really clever person won't have an easy time figuring out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example 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 figure out When the wicker husband proves to be a better man and partner than the rest of the married men in the village, jealousy erupts, and the unlikely couple must figure out how to preserve their simple life amid the chaos and vitriol. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026 Needless to say, fans are struggling to figure out what exactly Klum has in store for All Hallow’s Eve. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2026 For this part, the team gave the robot something called Kociemba’s solver to figure out what moves are needed. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 The idea is to let an assistant check connected accounts for tasks such as unpaid invoices and draft reminders without waiting for a prompt, so users spend less time figuring out what to ask for. — Wen Shao, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for figure out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figure out
  1. solve
  2. answer
  3. unravel
  4. resolve
Verb
  • Its sales team is trying to solve every problem in front of them with the tool the company sells, and that tool is a language model.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The crows solved the task the same way primates do, using the same mathematical logic despite having a very different brain structure.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of solve
Verb
  • Golden State answered with a three-pointer by Veronica Burton to briefly silence them.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Young protestors answered with an insurrectionary energy in the summer and soon found support from a broader coalition comprised of opposition parties, social movements and other pillars of Indian civil society.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of answer
Verb
  • As Prue and Curtis struggle to unravel the twisty lore of the obstacle-laden forest in their search for Mac, their outsider presence inadvertently sets off a long-festering showdown for control of the forest between its warring factions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Fabric thinning or developing holes was the top concern (62 percent), followed by seams splitting or unravelling (55 percent).
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of unravel
Verb
  • Valter Mazzetti, secretary-general of the Fsp police union, told The Associated Press that soldiers could provide immediate reinforcements but not resolve police staffing shortages.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Leaders said the agreement resolves several issues raised about the roles of state and local government in the stadium project, including land use and utilities.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of resolve

Browse Nearby Words

figure on
figure out
figures
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Cite this Entry

“Figure out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figure%20out. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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