fathom

as in to plumb
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot had to continually fathom the river, which drought conditions had lowered to unprecedented levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 fathom Furious race to the finale With the 4 Nations break in February forcing a condensed NHL schedule that has had the Wild playing on a mostly every-other-night pace for the past six weeks, Fleury cannot fathom how rapidly the end of the ride is approaching. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025 These prints in the dirt have been around longer than my mind can fathom. Megan Stringer, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025 Populist genre fare with a message about solidarity and fighting for your brethren against a system of control almost too vast to fathom! Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2025 The reason isn’t hard to fathom. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
Verb
  • Its most beautiful and bracing imagery is that of cotton fields plumbed by sharecroppers, endless skies and dusty roads, the verdant expanse of a land that has witnessed so much sorrow.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
  • And the authors, who were in their late 20s and early 30s when the show was new, seem to have been skittish about plumbing their caver’s scarier emotions.
    Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Rightly so, because the queue is an attraction unto itself – jaw-dropping, built to scale and packed with details from the films.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 27 May 2025
  • Tracking and Iterating: Use impact reporting to refine and scale programs effectively.
    Raghvendra Tripathi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • The facility spans nearly 500 acres and supports around 4,000 personnel — a mix of U.S. and allied military and civilian staff.
    Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 7 June 2025
  • The quiet yet luxurious hue spans room sizes and design styles, yet is subtle enough to serve as a neutral while adding a hint of color.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fathom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathom. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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