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
Recent Examples on the WebShe’s never been to a Grateful Dead show and can’t fathom being an extreme fan of anything.—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024 Many couldn’t fathom how anyone could possibly think any differently.—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 The sheer size of the Amazon Rainforest, which sits in nine different countries and covers an area of 2.7 million square miles, is tough to fathom.—Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2024 Saint-Denis, France CNN — Tara Davis-Woodhall overcame more than most people could ever fathom just to make the Olympics.—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fathom
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fathom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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