Figure out meaning
Figure out means to understand or solve something after thinking about it. It can also mean to calculate an amount or cost.
figure something out
figure out · figured · figuring
I can’t figure out how this coffee machine works.
Figure out meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Understand or solve something after thinking about it
figure something out
- I can’t figure out how this coffee machine works.
- Did you figure out why the app keeps crashing?
- It took me ages, but I finally figured it out.
-
2
Calculate an amount or cost
figure something out
- Let’s figure out how much each person owes.
- I need to figure out the cost of the trip.
- Can you figure the total out before we order?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use figure out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is figure out separable?
Figure out is separable: figure out the answer or figure the answer out. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: figure it out. Often a question word follows: figure out how, why, what.
Figure out is more common in US English. UK speakers often say work out with the same meaning. You can also figure someone out: I can’t figure him out.
Verb tenses for figure out
| Present | I figure out · she figures out |
|---|---|
| Past | figured out |
| Present perfect | have figured out |
| -ing form | figuring out |
Common mistakes with figure out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: This puzzle is hard, but I’ll figure out it.
Right: This puzzle is hard, but I’ll figure it out.
A pronoun goes between figure and out.
Wrong: I can’t figure out how does it work.
Right: I can’t figure out how it works.
After figure out how, use normal word order, not a question.
Wrong: I figured out to fix the bike.
Right: I figured out how to fix the bike.
Use how to + verb, not to + verb alone.
Synonyms and opposites of figure out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
Opposite
- be puzzlednot understand something
- give up onstop trying to understand or solve something
Figure out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The map is confusing. Can you ___ where we are?
Figure out means understand by thinking.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
Use normal word order after figure out what.
-
3“Let’s figure out the bill.” The friends are at a restaurant. What will they do?
Figure out an amount means calculate it.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get outA2leave a car, a room or a building
- take outA2remove something from a bag, a box, a pocket or a place
- put outB1stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- come outB1become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film
- look outB1be careful, because something bad may happen
- give outB1give something to each of a number of people
- turn outB2happen or end in a particular way
Figure out FAQ
Questions people ask about figure out.
What is the difference between figure out and find out?
Find out means learn a fact, often by asking: I found out the date. Figure out means think hard until you understand: I figured out the answer.
What is the difference between figure out and work out?
They mean the same when you solve or understand something. Figure out is more American; work out is more British.
What does I can’t figure him out mean?
It means you cannot understand why someone behaves the way they do.
Use figure out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.