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.
But I couldn’t quite figure out her place in the story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
To shake off the doldrums, invite a sharp colleague to coffee, ask them to trade notes and figure out ways to work together.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
"Having treatment has transformed my life," Ella says, "now I want to try and figure out the root cause."
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
It apparently failed, because they went back to the AI afterward asking it to help figure out what went wrong.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
I’d figure out a way of helping Dad and visiting Mr. Harris.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
