fathom

verb

Definition of fathomnext
as in to plumb
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot had to continually fathom the river, which drought conditions had lowered to unprecedented levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 fathom The sheer volume of the work — more than 1,000 photographs, along with video, sculpture and text pieces — and the intricacy of its detail are hard to fathom. — Sasha Weiss, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The show’s popularity was something none of the three could have fathomed in its earliest days. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026 Before scientists formulated their research, poets and naturalists had fathomed features of this intelligence. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders officially have competition on the content front which is hard to even fathom. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
  1. plumb
  2. scale
  3. span
Verb
  • But stringing vendor APIs together in a sequential waterfall is merely plumbing.
    — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • All this challenges a biographer who would plumb Casey’s decades as chief executive.
    — Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • Setting a gift cap, agreeing on spending limits with relatives or scaling back hosting are all ways households can manage holiday expenses, in line with the APA’s advice to make a financial plan and reduce spending when necessary.
    — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike the typical, Western beauty origin story — where an entrepreneur launches a specialized startup and scales through venture capital — Fas does not have a single founder.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • The district spans most of Tarrant County north of Interstate 30 and the western edge of the county, including parts of Benbrook.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The district, spanning some 900 square miles, is the largest in the country, and the majority of its 200,000 students are low-income.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of span

Browse Nearby Words

fathers (on)
fathom
fathomable
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Cite this Entry

“Fathom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathom. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fathom

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fathom

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