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 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 Today, such foresight remains almost hard to fathom. — Literary Hub, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
  1. plumb
  2. scale
  3. span
Verb
  • Readers can return to a text and plumb it for new meaning and understanding.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • But even as Moon landings, space shuttles, and reusable rockets seized the headlines, Link, along with a stubborn handful of engineers, explorers, and flat-out dreamers, kept plumbing the ocean instead.
    — Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of plumb
Verb
  • This outbreak comes just one year after the CDC scaled back monitoring of cyclospora.
    — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • As the Gulf scales its AI capabilities, advanced manufacturing facilities, and hyperscale data centre infrastructure, battery energy storage is emerging as a critical enabler of reliable, flexible, and resilient power systems.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • The six-bedroom home spans 15,000 square feet over three floors.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 July 2026
  • Utility territories most often span multiple counties, while rate-setting rules differ by state and utility.
    — Daniel Yue, The Conversation, 10 July 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 17 Jul. 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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