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Glite Dictionary
🔎 To discover 🕵️ To expose
to find out

to find out

∞ 2.1
To learn something you did not know, often by searching or asking
  • phrasal verb
  • /faɪnd aʊt/
translation icon : averiguar
  • Now, of course, it's time to find out if it works.
  • try to find out
  • want to find out
  • find out more

Because they will find out their sentence later on.

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Examples

  • OK, now how could you find out which ring size it is?

  • These things you only find out through practical testing.

  • So what do we find out about this?

  • Now we need to find out where the car park is.

  • So we're going to find out how bad it is.

  • I had to find out, and I knew where to look.

    Double Indemnity (1944)

  • We want to find out what the medium is.

  • Participants were also given information on how they could find out more about the experiment.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Communicating with other teachers and with students' parents to find out more about each student is important.

    Academic text (2015)

  • I need to find out how to fix my computer before the presentation.

Synonyms

to find
vsto find out
∞ 1.0

To discover something while looking or by accident

applies to accidental cases and also to actions done on purpose
to hear
vsto find out
∞ 1.0

Find out about something often by chance

is broader, including deliberate investigation and focused effort
to check
vsto find out
∞ 1.0

Examine something to make sure it is correct or true

focuses on confirming or testing rather than initial unawareness
to figure out
vsto find out
  • Informal
∞ 2.2

To think about something and find an answer or understand it

is broader, including gaining information by chance or by effort
to learn
vsto find out
∞ 1.0

Find out about something often by chance

includes deliberate effort or careful study as well as chance
to turn out
vsto find out
∞ 3.4

To be discovered or to happen in a way you do not expect

describes the result or outcome, not the action of seeking information
to discover
vsto find out
∞ 1.0

To find out about something for the first time, often by chance

can also result from steady effort or formal investigation
to pick up
vsto find out
∞ 2.6

To learn or notice something often by chance

is the general act of gaining information by many methods
to determine
vsto find out
781 2.3

To find out a fact by checking or measuring

is broader and can include casual or chance cases
to expose
vsto find out
342 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

is about becoming aware, not the act of showing things publicly
to research
vsto find out
300 3.1

To study a subject carefully to find new facts

is the general act of gaining information by any means
to come across
vsto find out
244 2.6

To find something or someone by chance

is used for both deliberate effort and chance
to uncover
vsto find out
243 3.5

Reveal secret facts to the public

focuses on revealing to others rather than simply becoming aware oneself
to turn up
vsto find out
155 3.0

To find something while searching or by chance

refers to becoming aware personally rather than public revealing
to get to the bottom of
vsto find out
137 3.9

Find the real reason for a problem by checking carefully

is less about deep investigation and more general awareness
to ascertain
vsto find out
59 5.7

To find out for sure by checking the facts

is a more general act that may not focus on complete certainty
to get wind
vsto find out
31 5.8

Hear about something by chance, not from official sources

implies indirect, unofficial information rather than confirmed knowledge
to learn the truth
vsto find out
31 3.0

To find out what really happened

applies to gaining any unknown information, not only confirming truth
to unearth
vsto find out
23 4.4

To find hidden facts or things by careful searching

applies to any new awareness, not only to things hidden
to ferret out
vsto find out
  • Informal
13 6.7

To search carefully to find hidden facts or documents

covers both casual awareness and long, persistent searches
to suss out
vsto find out
  • UK
8 8.2

To find out what is really happening

focuses on understanding by investigation rather than casual awareness
to rout up
vsto find out
  • UK
8.4

Find something after searching carefully

is the general act of becoming informed, not only careful searches

How Informed

to uncover
243 3.5
to discover
478 1.0
to find out
∞ 2.1
to learn
∞ 1.0
to hear
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

find out infinitive
finding out present participle
finds out third person singular
found out past
found out past participle

Morphology

find + out

The meaning 'to discover or expose' is directly derivable from 'find' (to discover) combined with 'out' (into the open/revealed). The particle 'out' adds the sense of bringing something hidden into view, a compositional and cross-linguistically common pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer.

Etymology

Find out comes from a simple picture: you find something and bring it out into the light. So it came to mean 'discover' or 'learn'.