figuring out

verb

present participle of figure out
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning a book of brainteasers that even a really clever person won't have an easy time figuring out

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 figuring out While the Florida Panthers received relatively good news about the injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand — Barkov out six to eight weeks, Marchand six weeks — the team still is tasked with figuring out how to replace their star forwards. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 But in evaluating potential starters on that side of the ball, certain schematic approaches and just simply figuring out how to get off the field on third down, there are some real questions that need answers going into the free weekend in Frisco. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 The first step to brighter-looking underarms is figuring out what might be irritating them in the first place. — Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026 Shuter is reporting that this isn’t just about figuring out what happened, but about real accountability. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026 Speaking out After his first two weeks in Mexico, Sanchez-Corona is figuring out what comes next in a new country. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026 Schools say most graduates ultimately are getting jobs, although increasingly, the employers hiring aren’t tech giants but smaller businesses looking for help figuring out what to do with AI. — Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Of course, figuring out an email address isn’t particularly difficult. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 That makes the research less like searching a catalog for the right material and more like figuring out the rules for building one. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figuring out
  1. solving
  2. unraveling
  3. answering
  4. working out
  5. resolving
Verb
  • Besides transporting me back to ancient China, solving this problem took me back to my own roots as a mathematician.
    — Dana Mackenzie, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The experiment shows that small models are becoming increasingly capable at solving those problems autonomously.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of solving
Verb
  • Starring Zhang Yi, Ma Li, and Chen Minghao alongside Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng, and Chen Feiyu, the multi-decade narrative charts a veteran public security officer unraveling major historical cases based on real events.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Shortly after, Iran attacked commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, unraveling the precarious cease-fire the country had struck with the United States three months earlier.
    — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unraveling
Verb
  • The latest breed of artificial intelligence assistants goes beyond the abilities of chatbots, which are great at answering questions and creating content.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The chair of Fayette County Democrats, Tracy Wilson, said the Uniontown Police Department is already short-staffed and underfunded and believes the program could hinder officers from answering calls.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of answering
Verb
  • Yen is now writing a fresh draft and working out the film’s visual style.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In a recent Instagram post, the 61-year-old supermodel shared her gym routine with her many followers, and shared working out has helped her in more ways than one.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of working out
Verb
  • The Founder Cannot Carry Every hour a founder spends resolving a vendor dispute or approving a schedule change is an hour not spent on the few decisions only the founder can make.
    — Ken Paskins, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The to-do list includes resolving myriad constituent concerns, many involving immigrants whose cases are in limbo because of changes enacted by the federal government.
    — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of resolving

Browse Nearby Words

figuring on
figuring out
filament
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Cite this Entry

“Figuring out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figuring%20out. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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