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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb determine differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of determine are decide, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When is it sensible to use decide instead of determine?

The words decide and determine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When might resolve be a better fit than determine?

The synonyms resolve and determine are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When would rule be a good substitute for determine?

The meanings of rule and determine largely overlap; however, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When can settle be used instead of determine?

Although the words settle and determine have much in common, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

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 determine Officials determined Saturday that the vehicle of interest is an all white truck with no side markings. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2025 Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025 Instead of a one-size-fits-all strategy, Wendy’s will review individual stores to determine whether they can be improved or if shutting them down is the most viable option. MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025 Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra's home was destroyed in a fire early Thursday morning, the cause of which is still to be determined. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for determine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determine
Verb
  • Last year, the new group of commissioners decided to bring back Nadine Jarmon as the housing authority's executive director.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2025
  • El Dorado County voters also decided three Zone of Benefit tax measures on Tuesday.
    Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Last week, four Republic of Ireland internationals playing in the Women’s Super League in England, Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace) and Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), chose not to have the poppy on their team shirts.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The Dolphins chose not to spend the money (or match or surpass other teams’ offers) on several solid contributors after their rookie contracts ended.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The ones who needed to leave their mother tongue in order to find their true voice.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • More on the science behind the portfolio diet A few small studies led by Jenkins in 2003, including the trial that introduced the diet to the world, found an association between following the portfolio diet and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
    Renée Onque, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Women from 130 countries are participating in this year’s edition, which concludes on November 21 with the crowning of the winner.
    Anabella González, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Williams returned to his alma mater and guided UNC to three NCAA titles (2005, 2009, 2017) and concluded with a career record of 903-264.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Hoover was much better in the second quarter and led TCU into the red zone, but the Horned Frogs had to settle for a 35-yard Nate McCashland field goal.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Soika, a surgeon, unsuccessfully tried to book a rental car to get to Utah for a weekend trip before settling on an option that seemed straight out of Hollywood.
    JOSH FUNK, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Three teams spent less in total than that above figure this season.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Though the Raptors must develop players behind and in support of their stars, this version of the team doesn’t work without those stars figuring this out.
    Eric Koreen, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The researchers learned that people who ate very similarly to the portfolio diet had a 14% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or stroke than people who ate less similarly to the diet.
    Renée Onque, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For example, when a manager gives feedback to a team member, Cisco's learning platform will combine that feedback with other data points, such as the employee's skills profile, to generate personalized learning recommendations.
    Kelly Jones, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On third-and-1 with seven seconds left, Schakel took the snap and tried to spike the ball, which would have stopped the clock and given his team one final play to go for the win.
    Alex Valdes, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Among those who do use an advisor, 26% are considering switching and 18% may stop using an advisor altogether.
    Robert Frank, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Determine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determine. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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