phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb
figure out
to understand or solve
What it means
To understand something after thinking about it, or to find the solution to a problem. It often suggests effort and a sudden moment of clarity once the answer appears.
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Examples
- It took me an hour to figure out how this new software works.
- I can't figure out why she's so angry with me today.
- Let's sit down and figure out a budget for the trip together.
- Eventually they figured out that the noise was coming from the attic.
Where it comes from
Separable: 'figure it out' or 'figure out the problem'. More common in American English; British speakers often say 'work out' for the same meaning.
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