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

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.
That meant figuring out how to make Rocky sound as expressive and excited as the character on the page. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2026 And part of it is that there’s so much that still needs to be figured out. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026 While these are positive measures, more is required to give farmers a fighting chance to figure out how to move forward. Anthony Pahnke, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026 Years before the rise of Instagram, Banksy figured out that the key to real influence lay in not being famous, exactly, but in being anonymous. Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Figure out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20out. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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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