figure out

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figure out (third-person singular simple present figures out, present participle figuring out, simple past and past participle figured out)

1. (informal) To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.

   As soon as I figure out what is wrong with my car, I will fix it.

   • 1915, John Groom King, How to Figure Out and Arrange Pattern Work for Weaving Colored Fabrics: Explained and Illustrated, Together with Other Simple Rules and Calculations Pertaining to Weaving Departments, Washburn Press, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 34:

     This part of the work, however, would of course come under the head of designing, while the object of this book is to teach you how to figure out the patterns whether you understand anything about designing or not.

   • 1953, Walter Farley, The Black Stallion Revolts, Random House, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 202:

     He remembered the money Gordon was keeping for him, and it was easy to figure out the answers.

   • 1994, Joella Clain, How to Figure Out a Woman, Cool Hand Communications, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 69:

     Bitches, like all con artists and game players, think they are clever and that their prey is stupid. Usually a woman can figure out another woman’s program. A man isn’t as quick on the uptake.

   • 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 29 March 2013:

     In a bid to understand the eternal mystery that is woman, Bart goes to the least qualified possible source for advice and counsel: his father, who remarkably seems to have made it to his mid-30s without quite figuring out much of anything.

2. (informal) To calculate.

   We'd already figured out that the trip would cost $1,000.

   • 1910, Arthur W. Joslin, Estimating the Cost of Buildings, With Important Chapters On Estimating the Cost [...], David Williams Company, →OCLC, →OL, page 27:

     Now after you are through with the plan and are ready to figure out the number of brick, take your estimate sheet and do so, following the dimensions you have set down from the plans.

• reason out

• outfigure