as in plumbing
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
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Recent Examples of fathoming
Advertisement Svetlana’s optimistic pretend normalcy and Lyudmila’s practical approach to medication point to impossibility of fathoming the many crushing consequences of the Ukraine crisis.
—
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathoming
Verb
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The home also arrives pre-installed with energy-efficient LED fixtures, 110V electrical outlets, and plumbing too—to take one more thing off your plate.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The researchers plan to explore embedding these hydrogels directly into products, improving stability, and scaling up production.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, a founder scaling across Europe must incorporate separate entities in each country, untangle regulatory and employment codes in multiple languages and markets, and explain to engineers in Munich why their stock options are treated differently to their colleagues’ in Madrid.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fathoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathoming. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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