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.
Democrats, Campbell said, have to figure out how to appeal to those religious groups without alienating those secular voters. — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 With our student podcasters, many entries involve the efforts of young people to figure out their place in the world. — Steve Drummond, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026 The sound just completely cut out — twice — while Cross was in mid-song, forcing him to stop the show and then try to figure out what to do next. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 The store had served as a place where those on the fringes — the Santeros, the LGBTQ+, those struggling to figure out their own practice — could go to feel at home. — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 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 18 Aug. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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