suss

American

[suhs] / sʌs /

verb (used with object)

Chiefly British Slang. to investigate or figure out (usually followed byout ).

suss British

/ sʌs /

verb

(often foll by out) to attempt to work out (a situation, person's character, etc), esp using one's intuition
Also: sus. to become aware of; suspect (esp in the phrase suss it )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

sharpness of mind; social astuteness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of suss

First recorded in 1965–70; earlier, to suspect, a suspect, shortening of suspect

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To suss this out, you need to get specific about what you are trying to do today.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

To be frank, the reason for the Wednesday rise was difficult to suss out.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

She suggested getting an independent solar feasibility survey to help "suss out how much money you might be able to make from solar panels on your roof".

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Trump told aides he didn’t want to leave the Hilton, and he remained at the hotel as advisers tried to suss out what happened, according to a person familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The title would be easy to suss out for any Yiddish speaker with a half-decent grasp of the Latin alphabet.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023