determines

verb

present tense third-person singular of determine
1
as in decides
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) a three-member panel will determine the case

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2
as in chooses
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration trying to determine which direction we were facing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in finds
to come upon after searching, study, or effort we failed to determine the answer to the riddle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ceases
to come to an end your participation in the savings plan determines with the termination of your employment here

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5
as in settles
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute your choice of college could determine the rest of your life

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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 determines Sweet potatoes are also classified by their skin color – orange, white, or purple — which also determines their texture when cooked. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 13 July 2026 Based on your salary, expenses, number of children and other factors, the school determines eligibility. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 Property valuations are part of what determines how much property taxes someone pays. — Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026 Getting those details right is often what determines whether debt relief actually relieves anything. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 July 2026 As for what determines why earthquakes are more frequent in some areas than others, that’s a little more complicated. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 The team determines which names from the management staff are engraved on the trophy, but all names must be approved by the Hockey Hall of Fame and NHL. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 One rule determines whether a distribution avoids income taxes. — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026 The real shift is that investor understanding, not simply net worth, increasingly determines access. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determines
  1. decides
  2. chooses
  3. finds
  4. ceases
  5. settles
  6. opts
  7. learns
  8. concludes
Verb
  • One of the kidnappers, Rodrigo (Humberto Busto), decides that the only way to escape getting caught is to kill Felipe.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Poseidon, upset that Odysseus blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, decides to make his return home difficult and long and wet.
    — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of decides
Verb
  • Once the interviews are wrapped, scores are delivered, references are verified, Bending Spoons finally chooses who to hire.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Eustaquio chooses to cross into a central area and Bosnia clear the ball, but the idea — to draw opponents out and create an overload in one area — was sound.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of chooses
Verb
  • Much of the season finds Lestat wrestling with profound guilt, including over the death of their daughter, Claudia (played with harrowing grace by Delainey Hayles).
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Whatever the reason, Maryland finds itself in a deep hole in 2026, with no easy way out of it.
    — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 13 July 2026
Definition of finds
Verb
  • This is not only devastating because Aang appears fatally injured, but because if an Avatar dies in the Avatar State, the entire cycle of Avatar reincarnation ceases and the earth’s balance is forever lost.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • What is surprising—indeed, almost shocking—is when a particular fashion ceases to change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
Definition of ceases
Verb
  • Choose a soothing activity, maybe watercolor, music, cooking, or a quiet walk, and give it your full attention so your spirit settles.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • Merchants pay interchange on card payments and hold working balances that earn them nothing, and a coin that settles instantly, costs less to accept and, under Open USD’s model, pays them the yield on their balances answers both at once.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of settles
Verb
  • Instead, Price opts for slow builds and gratifying payoffs, creating a tension that sustains the momentum of the record without getting lost in the details.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Tan France opts for a simple white tee and blazer look for an event hosted by GQ and Carbone Fine Food on June 29 in New York City.
    — Brendan Le Updated, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of opts
Verb
  • Every documentary filmmaker or journalist or investigator learns how to pull at that thread.
    — Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, their son Telemachus is told by the goddess Athena (Zendaya) to seek news of his father and learns Odysseus is alive, but held captive by a nymph (Charlize Theron).
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of learns
Verb
  • And since the World Cup concludes with the final on July 19, DirecTV’s five-day trial will provide free coverage through the remainder of the tournament.
    — Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • Not long ago, a group of anthropologists were climbing the Inca Trail, the legendary hike through the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains that concludes at Machu Picchu’s Sun Gate.
    — JD Shadel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Definition of concludes

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determinedness
determines
determining
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Cite this Entry

“Determines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determines. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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