1
2
as in outline
a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface
we could gradually see the figure of a ship coming our way through the fog
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
figures from the worlds of sport and entertainment will be guests at the White House dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sculpture
a small statue
painted wooden figures by untrained artists can be quite valuable on today's antiques market
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
7
as in diagram
something that visually explains or decorates a text
the layout editor could have done a better job of getting the figures on the same page as the specific portion of text that they are intended to illustrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in price
the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something
a number of the paintings at the auction sold at figures far higher than had been estimated
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in shape
the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance
the ice sculpture at the banquet was in the figure of an eagle spreading its wings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
11
as in calculation
figures plural
the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value
a person with a good head for figures
Synonyms & Similar Words
12
as in look
the outward form of someone or something especially as indicative of a quality
unshaven and dirty, he presents a sorry figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to decide
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
we figured that we had better arrive early at the concert in order to get good seats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to estimate
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
let's figure the juice in the pan to be about a cup and just add it to the mix
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to calculate
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations
the car dealer figured that our monthly car payment would be $357
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to think
to have as an opinion
the father figures that girls should have the same athletic opportunities as boys and supports his daughter's interest in soccer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 figure
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
In the Bible the Antichrist is a figure prophesied to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute himself as a false savior before the Second Coming.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Strider is due back in May and Schwellenbach and Waldrep in June so as the season goes along the Braves figure to only get better.
—Bill Madden, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figure
Noun
Years later, Burnett herself would rise to become one of television's most beloved figures, thanks in large part to The Carol Burnett Show.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
In the Bible the Antichrist is a figure prophesied to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute himself as a false savior before the Second Coming.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
Not many people in Pit Bull Stadium figured Lake Mary was going to leave Miami with the Class 7A state championship trophy when Vero Beach went into victory formation last December.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Strider is due back in May and Schwellenbach and Waldrep in June so as the season goes along the Braves figure to only get better.
—Bill Madden, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figure
Noun
-
The case involves a 2019 class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by shopper Brian Keim, who alleged that receipts from Trader Joe's stores displayed the first six and last four digits of his credit card, increasing the risk of identity theft.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
If that’s true, the entire psychological burden of the piece has been distilled into that one strained digit.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Set the scene The faint outline of distant mountains shapes a far-off horizon, where the spluttering of racing 4x4s belongs to another world.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Herd is currently laying out the outline of the flag on the ground.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rebecca Morin The White House Correspondents Association, a nonprofit member organization of journalists who cover the presidency, hosts an annual dinner each year that brings together members of the press, lawmakers and celebrities.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
And just as celebrity hairstylist SherriAnn Cole recently advised in Vogue, Clarke resisted the common urge to match her brows to her new blonde hair.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Also with a local connection are a ceramic sculpture by John Mason, a onetime Pomona College art instructor, and two paintings by Alfredo Ramos Martinez, muralist at Scripps College.—
David Allen,
Daily News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The most recent event, an outdoor sculpture exhibition entitled the Garden of Encounters, curated by Rumi’s Artistic Director Samy Snoussi for the 1-54 Art Fair, was a resounding success, attracting nearly 400 guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Inside, Sophie loves to play with her baby dolls and stuffed animals.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
-
For a slower start, slide into a table at Cucharita, where bright Lele dolls sway from the ceiling and good luck sheep line up by the cash register.—
Carrie Honaker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dec-aura points are the decor version—the design, decoration, and styling motifs that elevate a space into something undeniably chic, magnetic, and inviting.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Mathematicians hope that these intricate motifs will point them toward deeper topological features of individual knots.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
An exhibition curated by Barry Bergdoll and Martin Bressani at the Bard Graduate Center links those three eras, giving a central place to Viollet-le-Duc’s lifelong fascination with moody renderings, exploded perspectives, meticulous elevations, and analytical diagrams.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though no one was killed in the Stryker attack, some surgeries had to be postponed, implants could not be delivered to patients, and the company’s share price plummeted.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This was the reality all but ensured since March 17, when general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton and the rest of the staff decided that trading for Dolphins star receiver Jaylen Waddle would be well worth the ultimate price of their first-round pick.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figure. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
