figure out — understand after thinking
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To find the answer to something by thinking about it carefully.
Say it like a native
Textbook I eventually comprehended the mechanism of its operation.
Native I finally figured out how it works.
'Figure out' is the everyday verb for working something out; 'comprehended the mechanism' is bookish.
Pattern: figure out + noun / figure out + wh-clause
In use
- It took me a while to figure out how to use the new coffee machine.daily life
- In my last job, I often had to figure out solutions to unexpected problems, which really improved my problem-solving skills.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I can't figure out it.
✓ I can't figure it out.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'figure it out'.
Common collocations
figure out + problem— how it works, what to do, the answer, why
Don't confuse it
Similar to 'work out,' but 'figure out' is more common in American English.