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 One sketch in particular has Jimmy Kimmel playing a man who can’t fathom a president trying to seek more than two terms. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 Of course, the average person can't fathom this. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 25 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
  1. plumb
  2. scale
  3. span
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • The larger vision is a manufacturing campus that can scale alongside semiconductor demand while bringing production, logistics and supporting operations under one roof.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • As aerospace has scaled back since the end of the Cold War, El Segundo has emerged as a hub for many creative businesses, including toys.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • Missouri's battle over its congressional districts has spanned more than a year and spawned confusion over which districts will be in place for voters.
    — DAVID A. LIEB, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The eight top picks below span single hooks, double hooks, multi-hook racks, and one shelf-and-hook combination.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fathom

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fathom

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