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 doll
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
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Harvard has educated Chinese figures like former Vice Premier Liu He, who played a key role negotiating Trump’s phase one trade deal during the American president’s first term.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2025
The murder maestro’s widow, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), figures prominently in this installment, with FBI Agent Strahm (Patterson) pursuing a pet theory placing her at the center of the crimes.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for figure
Noun
The figures revised an earlier preliminary GDP print up by 0.2 percentage points, and means the first-quarter reading now marks the strongest quarterly economic growth in Germany since 2022.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Harvard has educated Chinese figures like former Vice Premier Liu He, who played a key role negotiating Trump’s phase one trade deal during the American president’s first term.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Verb
There was no construction manual necessary and setup took approximately 10 minutes (even on a glass of wine) by myself to figure it out.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2025
The murder maestro’s widow, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), figures prominently in this installment, with FBI Agent Strahm (Patterson) pursuing a pet theory placing her at the center of the crimes.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figure
Noun
-
Humidity will pick up toward the weekend as well, bringing heat indices up to the triple digits in the interior.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
12 May 2025
-
Entering play, Hicks had touched triple digits on two occasions during his time with the Giants.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Then format it as: 1) A LinkedIn post with a strong hook and clear formatting, 2) A Twitter thread with 5-7 tweets, 3) Instagram carousel slide titles, 4) A YouTube script outline.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
Steve King, Merrillville’s Street Department Director and Engineering Administrator, said an upcoming step would involve creating a plan to emphasize a shared vision and outline how the initiatives would benefit both municipalities.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
In addition to the post receiving comments from some of Roan's celebrity friends, including Paris Hilton, who left a heart-eyes emoji, fans also reacted to the hair change.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
17 May 2025
-
All of the biggest celebrity stories, in your inbox every day: Sign up for the entertainment newsletter.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
In fact, these dolls might be the one thing that’s hotter than a Birkin bag in 2025.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
14 May 2025
-
Just north of Magic Mountain’s roller coasters, hidden within the vast, anonymous industrial parks of Valencia, lies the secret lab where the murderous doll M3GAN was born.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
The three men disappeared from their cells in June 1962 in an elaborate plot that included mannequin dolls with real human hair left behind in their beds, according to the FBI.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
5 May 2025
-
In Vietnam, dusty provincial museums and newer, sleeker ones inaugurated for the 50th anniversary echo the sentiment in reverse, displaying mannequins of wily peasant farmers taking on the U.S. war machine.—
Made by History,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The motif of changelings—of fairies taking a human child and leaving a nonhuman child in its place—comes up throughout the story.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
18 May 2025
-
The most significant of these fantastical detours is the recurring motif of Mike seeing visions of a woman who possibly represents his biological mother.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
Grab a diagram template and build a flowchart, org chart, or floor plan.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
19 May 2025
-
The system is working through visual state machines and sequence diagrams.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
The starting price for single-day Epic Universe tickets is $139 for the general public.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
While improvements in jobs and wages would likely underpin a moderate economic recovery, Akazawa said that risks remained in consumer sentiment and consumption from sustained price hikes.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figure. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share