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 amount of love and support from our Colorado Springs community and beyond is overwhelming to fathom. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 June 2026 Mike Heller couldn’t fathom Hollywood Hardware’s sign going to waste. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2026 The idea struck me as hard to fathom. — Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 18 June 2026 Its scale — a thousand times more than a billion — is difficult to fathom for those of us who aren’t among the 3,363 billionaires that currently exist in our world. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
  1. plumb
  2. scale
  3. span
Verb
  • The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will soon join the ranks of iconic observatories like the Hubble and James Webb telescopes – plumbing the far reaches of the cosmos to answer some of life's greatest mysteries.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • It's also plumbed ready to accept a washer/dryer, and a water heater is installed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • The scientists now plan to collaborate with cement industry stakeholders to determine if the technology can be scaled for mass production.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As set out in a recent regulatory filing, DraftKings has agreed to pay up to $30 million in a marketing agreement with media platform HardScope, Kalish’s newest endeavor to help scale creator brands.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • One spans two spacious bedrooms, while another has its own kitchenette, and the largest includes a living room.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, and Frank Sinatra were among the many Hollywood stars whose residences were designed by prominent Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams during a career that spanned from the 1920s to his retirement in 1973.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of span

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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 29 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fathom

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fathom

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