determines

verb

present tense third-person singular of determine
1
as in decides
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) a three-member panel will determine the case

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2
as in chooses
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration trying to determine which direction we were facing

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3
as in finds
to come upon after searching, study, or effort we failed to determine the answer to the riddle

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4
as in ceases
to come to an end your participation in the savings plan determines with the termination of your employment here

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5
as in settles
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute your choice of college could determine the rest of your life

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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 determines Rather bizarrely, that means Nvidia is in the hands of the oil market, because the oil market determines inflation and inflation determines Warsh's thinking. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 Although vaccination prevents measles, trust determines whether people accept the vaccine. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The Algorithm then runs the numbers and determines that the only way to save the silo is for Bernard to go out to clean. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 The algorithm first fixes both cameras on a 3D point and determines the geometric relationship between the resulting images. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The agreement addresses the architecture that determines how the product operates. — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 So the trade might also turn out to be a cautionary preemptive move if the NFL determines Nacua violated the league’s personal-conduct policy and suspends him. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 But there is no single international body that determines names of international bodies of water. — Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Utilizing polygraphs, cardiographs, and encephalographs, scientists have proven a complex plant intelligence that determines levels of stress and emotions, as well as ESP (extrasensory perception) and fear of dying. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determines
  1. decides
  2. chooses
  3. finds
  4. ceases
  5. settles
  6. opts
  7. learns
  8. concludes
Verb
  • So Issa decides to bring out the real Paul Baker by inviting over all his bros.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Petitioners can move to gather signatures only if a judge decides that the recall charges meet the legal requirements for the process.
    — Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of decides
Verb
  • Once a name is retired, the committee chooses a replacement, using relatively short, easy-to-pronounce names, and not after individuals.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If a user chooses to store a ChatGPT conversation in the cloud, however, relevant Messages content follows the same retention policies as other content in that conversation.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of chooses
Verb
  • His Samoyed hops up and finds a spot between the athlete’s legs and the sofa’s back pillows.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Boscagli finds Pascal Gross, who feeds the ball into the feet of Wieffer, who can then pass to Diego Gomez.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of finds
Verb
  • But speed ceases to be an advantage the moment everyone possesses it.
    — David Farbman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • As the word ceases to mean a ceasing of fire, new terms have been coined.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of ceases
Verb
  • Adebo could see some action against three-receiver sets regardless, depending on what Harbaugh settles with at the slot corner spot.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As the fiscal reality of these mandates settles in communities across the state, the scramble of local governments to avoid cutting both core and beloved school programs like Outdoor School will become even more frantic.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of settles
Verb
  • The pro tennis star often opts for stilettos attached to colorful footwear choices like sandal heels or mules.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • His tape from last preseason and regular season, making acrobatic plays, would be tantalizing if Cincinnati opts to keep Meyers and Jones/Williams instead.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of opts
Verb
  • From the moment Billie learns about Sophie-Rose, the teenager who inherited her legendary fake ID after it was already passed down to multiple other Gen-Z blondes, she’s obsessed.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • During training, one neural network compares the robot’s movements with the insect demonstrations, while another learns a reward structure that encourages behavior similar to the biological example.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of learns
Verb
  • The letter to the editor concludes with a hope that the next president is better.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
  • So, what are the new GM’s biggest tasks once the search concludes?
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of concludes

Browse Nearby Words

determinedness
determines
determining
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Cite this Entry

“Determines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determines. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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