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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb discover contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discover are ascertain, determine, learn, and unearth. While all these words mean "to find out what one did not previously know," discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter.

discovered the source of the river

When is ascertain a more appropriate choice than discover?

The synonyms ascertain and discover are sometimes interchangeable, but ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.

attempts to ascertain the population of the region

When is it sensible to use determine instead of discover?

While the synonyms determine and discover are close in meaning, determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely.

unable to determine the origin of the word

When might learn be a better fit than discover?

The words learn and discover are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice.

I learned her name only today
learning Greek

In what contexts can unearth take the place of discover?

Although the words unearth and discover have much in common, unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden.

unearth old records

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 discover With that information in mind, read on to discover how to plan a trip to Indiana’s Brown County State Park. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025 Unsuspecting moms and dads—and even one aunt—have discovered that children’s playthings can leave grown-ups scratching their heads. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025 Friedt’s car — a Chevy Vega — was later discovered in a nearby park, the outlet reported. Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025 Democrats finally discovered that, after getting burned in 2024 and are making big promises to improve affordability, Luntz said. Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discover
Verb
  • Running Fence was first proposed in 1972 but took four years to fully realize.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • While the moral comes through loud and clear, that’s largely because the film’s bland depiction of slumberland isn’t a fraction as well-realized — or even as fun!
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 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
  • That line—now the opening line of the novel—revealed that this time travel story would be about how to begin again.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Advanced spectroscopy and simulations revealed why.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 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
  • Most of the farms Spring Creek works with are in Northwest Arkansas, though some are located in the Arkansas River Valley and Delta regions; the food hub works with farms of varying sizes, Hammer said.
    Cristina LaRue, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Startzer believes the time for his program’s breakout is next at the fledgling DPS high school located in northeast Denver.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • While not all spending or financial sources have been disclosed publicly, Democrats easily outspent a Republican campaign by as much as four-to-one.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Kelly did not disclose what structural engineering issues the building had, but said that the company's structural engineering firm informed Amazon of its error in a statement without elaborating.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But travelers could still see flight cuts even if the government were to reopen next week, as the FAA’s order requires airlines to cancel flights days in advance.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Roaches were seen in the restrooms.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Tour the city’s downtown area with Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tour to learn all about the spirits who haunt the old Canfield Casino and Hattie’s restaurant, uncover the legend of the Witch of Saratoga, and test your bravery by taking a seat in the Saratoga Springs Devil’s Chair.
    Cat Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But everyone is lying and there are secrets to be uncovered.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discover. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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