fathoming

present participle of fathom
as in plumbing
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot had to continually fathom the river, which drought conditions had lowered to unprecedented levels

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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 fathoming For starters, even though federal law requires hospitals to list their prices publicly, fathoming these files is almost impossible. Rufina Chow, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026 However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025 Advertisement Svetlana’s optimistic pretend normalcy and Lyudmila’s practical approach to medication point to impossibility of fathoming the many crushing consequences of the Ukraine crisis. Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathoming
Verb
  • The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will soon join the ranks of iconic observatories like the Hubble and James Webb telescopes – plumbing the far reaches of the cosmos to answer some of life's greatest mysteries.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Getty Images At first sight, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering work involved in construction doesn’t seem a prime target for disruption from artificial intelligence.
    David Prosser, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Gladys Knight is scaling back her live performance schedule as recent concerts have prompted concern among some fans and people working on her tour about whether the Motown legend should remain on the road.
    Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Former Ferrari president and chairman Luca di Montezemolo joined analysts and investors in mocking the model as ugly and decidedly un-Ferrari-like at a time where other luxury automakers were scaling back their own EV efforts amid low demand.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fathoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathoming. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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