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

Relevance

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 The agency said the problem was discovered during FSIS surveillance activities. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The ship claimed Cameroonian registry, but Cameroon suspended its international register on February 6 after discovering its flag was being issued through two fraudulent websites. — Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 Till’s body was discovered by a fisherman nine days later and recovered from the Tallahatchie River near Pecan Point, about 12 miles north of Money. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 In 2024, 30 years after Lopez was found dead, police offered a 2,500 euro reward for information leading to an arrest after a male DNA trace was discovered. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 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
  • Consequently, investors are shifting focus from the entities funding the infrastructure to those collecting the revenue, favoring AI infrastructure providers that can realize order books and revenue streams sooner.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of realize
Verb
  • Much of that is because of Bowers, arguably the most talented tight end league-wide, but also because Mayer has found success in Kubiak’s heavy sets, and Thomas continues to provide value as a blocker.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Red walls, heavy draperies with swags and fringe, and jacquard fabrics with gold accents could be found in many homes.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • The live ceremony will also reveal winners in categories spanning film, television and commercial work.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Sussexes’ return to the UK after living in the United States for the past six years was revealed last week.
    — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of reveal
Verb
  • The sixth-year forward is an athletic rebounder and has learned to fill the gaps created by defenses focusing on Wilson in the frontcourt.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of learn
Verb
  • He was located in Indiana, where he is being held pending extradiction, the release said.
    — Elgin Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • According to police, crews with the Westport Police Department located the vessel, a white 1998 Seamaster, and found that it was submerged.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of locate
Verb
  • Some of the rogue behavior, which culminated in the breach of the open-source software platform Hugging Face last month, has been disclosed or alluded to previously.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike that agreement, Circ’s announcement with Shenghong did not tie the purchases to a particular facility or disclose a contract term.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of disclose
Verb
  • Institutional investors still seem to see growth opportunities, even if some sovereign wealth funds show signs of potential pullbacks.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The expansion will see Amazon Web Services (AWS) deploy 2 million additional Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • Crucially, professionals must actively listen to uncover underlying needs, use storytelling to clarify concepts, and adapt their message in real-time.
    — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.
    — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncover

Browse Nearby Words

discourtesy
discover
discovered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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