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

Relevance

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
  • Meanwhile, America is now in the war, and veteran Adam is seemingly the only person in Salinas who realizes that this isn’t necessarily a noble thing.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Mullen now realizes that all of that creative struggle, however frustrating, had a purpose.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of realizes
Verb
  • But when the 17-year-old Russian returns what seems like moments later with a solution to significantly advance the theories outlined in the paper, the professor finds himself with a new research partner.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Pi-o immediately packs his bags, and finds the church on the front of the postcard.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of finds
Verb
  • The movie’s heady content — Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the title role as a high-schooler who discovers the philosophy of time travel alongside his responsibility to change fate — provided endless fodder for late-night discussions, sober or otherwise.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In one story, a little boy discovers a magical garden that appears only on the darkest nights; in another, two sisters use the moon as a boat and sail into the sky.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of discovers
Verb
  • Jason Sudeikis does sneak in the final emotional moment, when Ted learns that Mae Green, the beloved owner of the local Crown & Anchor pub, apparently died while cheering on the team from the stands.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of learns
Verb
  • Andersen sees energy storage, which would allow for continual energy supply even when the wind isn’t blowing, as the wind sector’s next big opportunity.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In her review of the exhibition, critic Aruna D’Souza sees this resemblance as a blind spot in the show’s curation.
    — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of sees
Verb
  • It is funded through the Job Development Investment Grant program, which directs a portion of a JDIG award to the account when a company locates or expands in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 county.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Peng’s wardrobe consistently locates her within China, drawing on domestic design and recognizable elements of Chinese dress.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of locates
Verb
  • Every audience hears about the tweets from Michigan’s William Lawrence, condemning the nuclear family, and New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier, about how July 4 should be about the liberation of Palestine and Puerto Rico.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In the song’s closing moments, the Edge hears something older than country music in Parton’s voice.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hears

Browse Nearby Words

ascertaining
ascertains
ascetic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ascertains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascertains. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All