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 Our society was different then, in ways younger citizens might find hard to fathom. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 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
  • There are some authors who plumb the roots of their own concerns or anxieties, while others work tirelessly to build worlds out of words and ideas.
    — Josh Zajdman, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There is no reading of the statute under which enforcing the Building Code includes plumbing a restaurant’s kitchen.
    — Fabiola Stuyvesant, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • DannijoPro has tapped Pat Geraghty, former president and chief executive officer of GuideWell and its subsidiary Florida Blue, as CEO as the company looks to scale its business.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • How Creator Relationships With Viewers Are Changing As creator content has become more professionally produced and even scaled via generative AI tools, the audience’s emotional relationship to creators has changed, as well.
    — William Daddi, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • The apartment spans 4,110 square feet, with three bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and a powder room.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Getting to shape something that spans from competition to just living my life is so meaningful to me.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fathom

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fathom

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