ascertains

verb

present tense third-person singular of ascertain
1
as in realizes
to come to an awareness of was immediately able to ascertain that the girl was uncomfortable talking about her life at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finds
to come upon after searching, study, or effort ascertained that their old colonial-era house had once functioned as a tavern

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ascertains Flores ascertains the garment requires a great shoe or boot to complete the look. — Julia Guerra, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascertains
  1. realizes
  2. finds
  3. discovers
  4. learns
  5. sees
  6. locates
  7. hears
Verb
  • The spy thriller is just one of the many shows in Sheridan’s empire, and so Luckinbill realizes the biggest obstacle could be getting the prolific creator to take a break from TV.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Listening in from a nearby water tower via a wire, Rand realizes Kershaw’s connection to the plot and holds him at gunpoint, sparking a fierce brawl between them.
    — Max Gao, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of realizes
Verb
  • Rosignoli also recommended the Museo Civico Naturalistico-Archeologico in Vicenza, which has finds from Lake Fimon and Teatro Berga, an actual Roman theater that once stood in the city center.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Luanne, a beauty-school dropout, finds her voice as a Christian children’s puppeteer.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of finds
Verb
  • But when Fran discovers a magic tree after wandering into the woods, the trio experience a series of life-altering adventures.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The organization discovers its chain was optimized for yesterday’s demand.
    — Dennis Mitzner, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of discovers
Verb
  • That specificity has raised alarms because military personnel, intelligence officials, and contractors have privileged knowledge capable of shifting the value of a contract before the public learns it.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Each market requires its own evidence and reimbursement pathway—a reality every company scaling medical technology globally learns quickly.
    — Erez Meltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of learns
Verb
  • Peel, who is an expert on the Mexican cattle trade, told CNN that screwworm isn’t the primary force behind high cattle prices, and sees the issue as a fig-leaf for a broader anti-free trade agenda.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The 2017 sketch sees Matt Damon claiming to be the father of Kimmel’s child with wife Molly McNearney, and Povich was supposed to adjudicate the dispute.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • If most people tend to think of the art as the visual or sonic manifestation one encounters, Protocol Art locates the art not in its manifestations but in the work that generates them.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The medical model locates disability inside the individual, a deficit to be cured, corrected or endured until the person can function in a world built without them.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of locates
Verb
  • Through Hood’s conversations with Silvia in the weeks leading up to the execution, Hood learned that Silvia often hears voices and speaks to others who are not there.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Board of Tax Appeals, which was established in 1969, hears hundreds of appeals each year.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hears

Browse Nearby Words

ascertaining
ascertains
ascetic
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Cite this Entry

“Ascertains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascertains. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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