figure out
Britishverb
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to calculate or reckon
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to understand
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Discover or determine, as in Let's figure out a way to help . [Early 1900s]
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Solve or decipher, as in Can you figure out this puzzle? [Early 1800s]
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.
“Once we started playing with each other, and you’re still trying to figure out who your character is, working through the other character. It’s such an intimate piece with two people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
He added that the Law Society needed to figure out "what procedures we put in place to make sure we don't get it wrong again".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
That can lead to a “buy, then plan” approach — one where drivers think, “I’m just going to buy my car, and figure out the rest of my budget,” Caldwell said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
But there are reasons to convert from monthly to annual, for example to figure out whether the annual rate is running above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He simply needed to figure out how to get there.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
