figure out
Britishverb
-
to calculate or reckon
-
to understand
-
Discover or determine, as in Let's figure out a way to help . [Early 1900s]
-
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.
You can’t figure out the impact of a Social Security reduction without first knowing where you are now — a step most people have not yet taken if they are not avid financial planners.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
“There were literally four people and 200 chairs. And I said, ‘I have to figure out how to make these chairs laugh.’”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Instead of attacking the reflected image, the octopuses needed to figure out where the stimulus was actually located and move toward it.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
The company said it plans to bring together government officials, scientists, advocacy groups and competing AI firms in coming months to figure out how such a system could work.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
“I couldn’t figure out the Moon Witch’s challenge. I froze! Before that I stopped being able to see the arrows on my own. It’s like the book picked me and then changed its mind.”
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.
