discover

verb

di-ˈskə-vər How to pronounce discover (audio)
Definition of discovernext
1
as in to realize
to come to an awareness of I was startled to discover that my keys were missing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort we hope to discover the real reason for his odd behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reveal
to make known (as information previously kept secret) discovered to his friend how people whom he had trusted had betrayed him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb discover contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discover are ascertain, determine, learn, and unearth. While all these words mean "to find out what one did not previously know," discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter.

discovered the source of the river

When is ascertain a more appropriate choice than discover?

The synonyms ascertain and discover are sometimes interchangeable, but ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.

attempts to ascertain the population of the region

When is it sensible to use determine instead of discover?

While the synonyms determine and discover are close in meaning, determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely.

unable to determine the origin of the word

When might learn be a better fit than discover?

The words learn and discover are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice.

I learned her name only today
learning Greek

In what contexts can unearth take the place of discover?

Although the words unearth and discover have much in common, unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden.

unearth old records

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discover Another set of skeletal remains was discovered that May, and they were identified as a drowning victim from 2002. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Then, discover the cryptography protecting it, map TLS termination points, understand certificate and PKI dependencies, identify legacy systems, test hybrid mechanisms and measure what’s actually being negotiated. — Scott Alldridge, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Months before the suitcases were discovered in June 2014, Farmington Police Department Detective Sergeant Lee Hollatz was investigating the disappearance of 37-year-old Laura Simonson. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Investigators discovered the father and young son slaughtered in a hotel room at the resort on Monday. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discover
  1. realize
  2. find
  3. reveal
  4. learn
  5. locate
  6. disclose
  7. see
  8. uncover
Verb
  • What to read next After nearly 30 years, NASA realized this near-Earth asteroid is actually a comet.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But kidding aside, AI used in the right way can make people smarter about their health, more so than most realize.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of realize
Verb
  • Yet the clubs from small markets with relatively low payrolls found ways to play the best baseball in each of their respective leagues this season en route to the World Series.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Other organizations linked to Page, including Flu Lab LLC, One Aero, and Oceankind, were also incorporated in Delaware that month, after previously being in California, Rogelberg’s analysis of state filings found.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The extra baggage negates the weightlessness, revealing a more flawed and earthbound iteration of the band.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • When scandals are revealed, teams and leagues with close ties to gambling companies are accused of hypocrisy.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of reveal
Verb
  • Dazzle, the new venture, is a personal AI assistant that learns from the photos on a user’s phone, said Mayer.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rilke writes about solitude, love, patience and learning to live with uncertainty.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of learn
Verb
  • Even its afterglow was so absurdly incandescent that JWST was able to locate the source supernova only several months later.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, the counties that saw the highest acreage losses by far were San Joaquin — where Lodi is located — and Fresno.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of locate
Verb
  • The start of initial production marks a manufacturing milestone for the cxMHR, but Leonardo DRS has not disclosed production quantities, customer orders, delivery schedules, or a timeline for operational deployment in its announcement.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Variety understands that Mediawan paid on the lower end of tens of millions of dollars, although Capton declined to disclose the exact figure or financial terms.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disclose
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • American Transmission Company, a utility firm that develops and manages high-voltage transmission lines, has seen rapid growth, in part thanks to the AI and data center buildout.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • Curious developers have uncovered new functionalities, built innovative tools and shared them through open source and platform-specific forums.
    — Kevin Cochrane, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In bogs, history is sequestered and suspended in time, but can be revealed at any moment, just as layers of peat can be uncovered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncover

Browse Nearby Words

discourtesy
discover
discovered
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Cite this Entry

“Discover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discover. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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