figure
noun
a numerical symbol, especially an Arabic numeral.
was figuring
-
past progressiveof figure.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
While Addepar was figuring out how to integrate AI inside the company, its biggest challenge was applying “the knowledge that lives between the systems, between the people,” Pisani said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“I was figuring out how to make it work.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The scientists’ big breakthrough was figuring out how to turn them on and off so that target metals can be retrieved without the chemical inputs and waste that plague traditional metal processing, Su said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
He is openly gay, but says he was figuring out his sexuality at a time when homosexuality was "looked on with terrible shame and disgust by the vast majority of society".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025
I could tell he was figuring out how to build the generator, and maybe making other plans as well.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
