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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 Warm summer evenings are a good time to discover the wonders of the night sky. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025 Sometimes, some things must be lost in order to discover even more beautiful ones. Kevin Giraud, Variety, 8 June 2025 The investigation into the identification of the body of the older man discovered this morning is ongoing. Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025 Astronomers who authored the new research recently discovered around at least 20 asteroids around Venus. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for discover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discover
Verb
  • Keep in mind that bush-type beans and peas generally don't need support, but pole beans require trellises or cages for their vining stems. Lupines: Many growers don't realize that lupines belong to the legume family and can also benefit neighboring plants with their nitrogen fixing roots.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025
  • Most important, audiences now get to realize that Paul Gross is in this!
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 June 2025
  • Fears that a serial killer is at large were reignited by the recent discovery of a body in a Texas lake, where 19 corpses have been found over the past three years.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Diary entries written by Luigi Mangione reveal the now 27-year-old’s detailed thinking before the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year, a new court filing shows.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
  • Zooming in reveals a poor level of detail, while the colors look unnaturally bright.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a $10 mini-game collection that tasks players with studiously learning and implementing every new feature in the system.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
  • Hannah Einbinder, Natasha Lyonne and Jessica Williams embrace nudity, mutual adoration and finally learning to stop chasing each other's careers.
    Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • No one supposedly could locate the accused to bring to trial, despite the men belonging to one of England’s highest nobility houses.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 2025
  • The lounge, which is fittingly located in the hotel’s seafront garden, takes design cues from Riva’s iconic runabouts, naturally.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • The lipstick was used to draw on the side of the Tesla Cybertruck, but what was drawn and the shade of lipstick were not disclosed in the news release.
    Amaia Gavica, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2025
  • Those surprises can include the limited exemption amount, common misconceptions about asset types, the requirement to disclose the value of worldwide assets on their estate tax return, and other pitfalls that can complicate estate planning.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told reporters after the match, which finished 1-1, that Messi preferred to come off rather than see Scaloni take off young playmaker Thiago Almada.
    Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 14 June 2025
  • Other parents witnessed the March on Washington, whereas my father saw Jackie Robinson don Dodger blue at Ebbets Field.
    Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • Researchers have uncovered handwritten letters, court documents, and a coroner’s report related to the nearly 700-year-old cold case murder of a medieval priest.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 2025
  • The package was intercepted and the fungus uncovered.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discover. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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