determining

verb

present participle of determine
1
as in deciding
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) a three-member panel will determine the case

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in figuring
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration trying to determine which direction we were facing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 determining Proponents of the move argued that a high school GPA is a better factor in determining readiness than standardized testing that favors students with wealthy parents who can afford private tutors and test prep classes. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 But the main challenge in determining how far the film can go on Oscar nominations morning is still Cruise. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026 Police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation, including determining how the initial contact occurred between the two vehicles. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026 While hair thinning and shedding can be distressing, determining the underlying causes can help slow down, stop or even reverse certain types of hair loss. — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026 The state’s next governor will play a key role in determining the extent to which the state rolls back its existing camera network. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 The act of responding to claims by policyholders, including inspecting homes, interviewing, determining if or what to pay for the claim, and ensuring the check arrives. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026 The challenge for communities and their leaders is not simply deciding whether to allow data centers, but determining how to govern their growth. — Fengxiu Zhang, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 Just how useful the rankings are in determining the quality of a college is up for debate. — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determining
  1. deciding
  2. figuring
  3. finding
  4. stopping
  5. settling
  6. judging
  7. choosing
  8. learning
Verb
  • Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL wild-card series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game.
    — Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Braves deployed him Thursday, for the final four outs of the deciding game of the wild-card round.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of deciding
Verb
  • Everybody — from first-year coaches to 24th-year players — will be figuring things out.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • First, the law takes its time in responding to new technologies, figuring that new tools can be accommodated within existing ideas, rules, and doctrines.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of figuring
Verb
  • Two days later, investigators searched his hotel room and reported finding nearly 700 grams of cocaine, more than 70 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials and $13,867, according to authorities.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In January, its investigators reported finding more than 100 hallucinated citations in papers accepted at NeurIPS, one of the world’s top AI research conferences, as Fortune first reported.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of finding
Verb
  • Executive chef Gil Dumoulin often makes the rounds in the dining room, stopping to discuss the food with guests, which is a nice touch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This is not an argument for fear or for stopping useful innovation.
    — Babajide Ojuola, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of stopping
Verb
  • Likewise, tipping can make settling up uncomfortable when dining out with friends.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The company has faced a wave of lawsuits about child safety and data security, most recently settling a major federal case involving a group of state attorneys general for nearly $17 billion.
    — Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of settling
Verb
  • Google isn’t making any significant design changes to its upcoming midrange Pixel update, judging by the leaks shared by Android Headlines.
    — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Their 16-year-old had gone from being a naive gamer to converting to an extreme vision of Islam in a matter of months – and began judging the world through that dark prism.
    — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of judging
Verb
  • Many questioned the Dodgers choosing to pitch Skubal in Saturday’s opener while slotting Blake Snell into Sunday’s spot and leaving last season’s playoff hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bench until Game 3.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The screen just isn't that colorful, which puts it at a disadvantage for everything from designing a flyer to choosing the right photo for a social media post.
    — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of choosing
Verb
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Nicholas Razo, Santa Fe Springs’ assistant city manager, told The Times that the city had previously raised concerns with the league about subletting and took action after learning the practice was continuing.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of learning

Browse Nearby Words

determines
determining
deterred
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Determining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determining. Accessed 7 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 discreet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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