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
  • Getty Images At first sight, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering work involved in construction doesn’t seem a prime target for disruption from artificial intelligence.
    — David Prosser, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Yet director Christopher Nolan, far more than Homer, goes on to plumb Odysseus’ existential collapse, shame and guilt.
    — Amy S. Badura-Brack, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • In the not-so-distant future, Musk mused, robots will be used to scale manufacturing on the moon.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Because the Blackbird is a brand-new concept and design project, physical customer production and track testing will not scale up until the Venom F5 program concludes around 2028.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • Over a career spanning six decades, Herzog has become one of the most influential figures in international cinema, working on around 80 films often alighting on the subjects of obsession, extreme situations and the contradictions of human nature.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Whatnot’s categories span Pokémon cards to designer bags to fresh food.
    — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 7 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fathom

Nglish: Translation of fathom for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fathom

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