figure out

verb

figured out; figuring out; figures out

transitive verb

1
: discover, determine
try to figure out a way to do it
2
: solve, fathom
figure out a problem

Examples of figure out in a Sentence

a book of brainteasers that even a really clever person won't have an easy time figuring out
Recent Examples on the Web Similar to the way that calculators for high school algebra work, Markov chain Monte Carlo takes in a mathematical equation from the user and figures out the values of each variable that maximize the predictive accuracy of the model. G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2024 The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. Kris Holt, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Chipotle’s announcement comes at a time when HR leaders around the world are trying to figure out the best way to incorporate AI into their workflow. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024 Because of the overlap with the flu in both symptoms and timing, your doctor (or your child's) will have to be careful when figuring out a diagnosis. Korin Miller, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for figure out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figure out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of figure out was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near figure out

Cite this Entry

“Figure out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20out. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

figure out

verb
1
: find out, discover
try to figure out a way to do it
2
: solve
figure out a problem

More from Merriam-Webster on figure out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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