{"id":2864,"date":"2022-04-15T18:46:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T18:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2864"},"modified":"2022-04-15T18:46:38","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T18:46:38","slug":"figure-out-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/figure-out-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure Out - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for a way to tell someone that you\u2019re busy solving a problem? If that\u2019s the case, you could say to them that you are trying to \u201c<em>figure out<\/em>\u201d a solution to the issue. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The meaning of the expression \u201c<em>figure out<\/em>\u201d refers to problem-solving. If you\u2019re trying to solve a problem, you are \u201c<em>figuring it out<\/em>.\u201d The saying can refer to clearing up the details surrounding an activity or request. Or, it can refer to solving a situation or problem through the use of reasoning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To figure out may also mean to understand why something behaves or acts in a specific manner. It can also mean casually applying your mind to something or using all of your concentration on solving a problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Figure out<\/em>\u201d is a slang or colloquial saying, and it\u2019s not common for the phrase to appear in a formal conversation.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been trying to figure out this darn TV remote for the last hour, and I\u2019m getting nowhere with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt took me years to figure out how the global financial system works, and no, I wish I never looked into it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you figure out that he was the serial killer? That\u2019s some impressive detective work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure if I have the brainpower to figure out advanced calculus problems. Math was never my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you going to figure out who did this? Or do I have to step in and find the culprit?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no way anyone will figure out what we did. It was a decade ago, and we were careful to cover our tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there\u2019s anyone that can figure out what to do, it\u2019s you. We all have complete faith and confidence in your abilities to lead us out of this mess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s put our heads together and figure out what to do about Annie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2865\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Figure-Out.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"126\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2866\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Figure-Out2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"143\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The origin of the expression \u201cfigure out\u201d seems to come from the early 1900s. It\u2019s a relatively new saying, and there is no written reference to the first use of the expression.<\/p>\n<p>However, language experts believe it came into being during the late 1800s concerning problem-solving.<\/p>\n<p>It seems to relate to modern problem-solving in a corporate environment, where people new to a job had to figure out the procedures to settle into their workplace position.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Figure out, English phrasal verb, popular English phrases\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HMYD4PnS-7k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Figure Out<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Flesh it out.<\/li>\n<li>Knock it out.<\/li>\n<li>Think about it.<\/li>\n<li>Rack your brain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Figure Out<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Let it be.<\/li>\n<li>Forget about it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Figure out.<\/li>\n<li>Figured out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say Figure Out Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>Some people may use the phrase as a way to say they are in a formal conversation. If that\u2019s the case, you will do better using an expression like \u201canalyzing the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Using the term in the boardroom might not be a good idea. Still, around employees or low-level managers, it helps you relate to the employee experience on the employee level.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase Figure Out<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the phrase \u201cfigure out\u201d when you\u2019re trying to tell someone that you\u2019re busy with solving a problem. The saying suits social and professional use in a wide variety of situations.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, you could tell your boss that you\u2019re trying to figure out a solution to the supply chain problem. Or, you could say to your partner that you\u2019re trying to figure out how the new TV remote works.<\/p>\n<p>The saying applies to many circumstances and situations where you\u2019re trying to express that you\u2019re in the middle of attempting to find a solution to the issue at hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Are you looking for a way to tell someone that you\u2019re busy solving a problem? If that\u2019s the case, you could say to them that you are trying to \u201cfigure out\u201d a solution to the issue. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of the expression \u201cfigure out\u201d refers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2864"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3098,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions\/3098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}