Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
The idiom "figure out" means to understand or discover something by using reasoning or analysis. It can also mean to solve a problem or find information. Example sentence: She figured out the answer to the math question. Example sentence: After analyzing the data, they were able to figure out the root cause of the issue.
The idiom "figure out" has been used in English since the 16th century. The earliest known use of the idiom is found in a book written in 1580 called "The Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue." The phrase "figure out" was originally used to mean "to determine or discover by calculation." Over time, the idiom evolved to include reasoning and analysis as well.