SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

find out

verb

Definition of find out

transitive verb

1 :to learn by study, observation, or search :discover

2 a :to catch in an offense (such as a crime)

the culprits were soon found out

b :to ascertain the true character or identity of

the informer was found out

intransitive verb

:to discover, learn, or verify something

I don't know, but I'll find out for you

See find out defined for kids

Examples of find out in a Sentence

that was around the time that I found out I was adopted
found out where she lived by checking the phone book

First Known Use of find out

15th century

find out Synonyms

Synonyms

ascertain, catch on (to), discover, get on (to), hear, learn, realize, see, wise (up)

Antonyms

miss, overlook, pass over

Related Words

hit (on or upon), tumble (to); descry, detect, encounter, espy, see, spot; calculate, dope (out), figure out, find, puzzle (out); discern, mind, note, observe, perceive; divine

Near Antonyms

miss, overlook; disregard, ignore; forget, unlearn; blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, enshroud, hide, mask, occult, screen, shroud, veil

Learn More about find out

See words that rhyme with find out Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for find out Spanish Central: Translation of find out Nglish: Translation of find out for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of find out for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up find out? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

anathematize

play

to curse or denounce

BROWSE DICTIONARY

find oneself

Findon haddock

find out

find out about

findspot

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

alt-59c94ad823f29

'Meat Sweats': The Competitive Eater's Worst Nightmare

They're real, but is meat the cause?

alt-59c919f342079

'Diffuse' vs. 'Defuse'

Let us defuse the situation.

alt-59c52d6ee2f72

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106

Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game

Examples: find out in a Sentence