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Synonyms

figure out

British  

verb

  1. to calculate or reckon

  2. to understand

"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
figure out Idioms  

  1. Discover or determine, as in Let's figure out a way to help . [Early 1900s]

  2. 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.

“We’re not ready to come to you with a request; we’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed in this fiscal year versus next fiscal year,” Vought said.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Michelle, how did you figure out how to navigate that dynamic?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Five months later, I’m still trying to figure out how I was so wrong.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Still, it’s hard to escape the perception that one needs a platinum card and at least two degrees from MIT to figure out how to watch all of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

C.C. was still trying to figure out a proper experiment to examine it.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

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.