1
2
as in outline
a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface
we could gradually see the figure of a ship coming our way through the fog
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
figures from the worlds of sport and entertainment will be guests at the White House dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sculpture
a small statue
painted wooden figures by untrained artists can be quite valuable on today's antiques market
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
7
as in diagram
something that visually explains or decorates a text
the layout editor could have done a better job of getting the figures on the same page as the specific portion of text that they are intended to illustrate
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in price
the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something
a number of the paintings at the auction sold at figures far higher than had been estimated
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in shape
the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance
the ice sculpture at the banquet was in the figure of an eagle spreading its wings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
11
as in calculation
figures plural
the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value
a person with a good head for figures
Synonyms & Similar Words
12
as in look
the outward form of someone or something especially as indicative of a quality
unshaven and dirty, he presents a sorry figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to decide
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
we figured that we had better arrive early at the concert in order to get good seats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to estimate
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
let's figure the juice in the pan to be about a cup and just add it to the mix
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to calculate
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations
the car dealer figured that our monthly car payment would be $357
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to think
to have as an opinion
the father figures that girls should have the same athletic opportunities as boys and supports his daughter's interest in soccer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of figure
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 29 Mar. 2026
In a post on X accompanied by photos of wounded children, Fitrat said that preliminary figures indicated that one person had been killed and 16 others were wounded, mostly women and children.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
But from that point opposing pitchers figured him out and his production cratered.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figure
Noun
To be clear, the astronauts aboard Orion for Artemis 2 won't actually enter orbit around the moon, but will instead slingshot around the lunar far side in a figure-eight trajectory that puts the spacecraft on a direct course back to Earth.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 29 Mar. 2026
In a post on X accompanied by photos of wounded children, Fitrat said that preliminary figures indicated that one person had been killed and 16 others were wounded, mostly women and children.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
Tortorella figures to bring a different energy to the Golden Knights.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
But from that point opposing pitchers figured him out and his production cratered.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figure
Noun
-
The information the department is requesting would include information such as full name, date of birth, address, driver’s license and the last four digits of a Social Security numbers.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, believes one more month of triple-digit oil prices could be enough.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And then in 1844 came Robert Chambers’s best-selling proto-Darwinist Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation, which sketched a plausible outline of biological evolution.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
After missing multiple deadlines set by federal officials in recent months to, at least, create outlines of an agreement, the two sides are hiring more lawyers in case the dispute goes to court.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That celebrity influence and Pokémon’s global audience have ensured the franchise’s longevity and explosion of value, according to collectible experts.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In music, there was Brian Eno; in painting, there was Andy Warhol; in sculpture, there was Andy Goldsworthy; in film, there was Werner Herzog.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the courtyard, the hotel’s signature Mariposa (Spanish for butterfly) sculpture stretches overhead like a modern butterfly wing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors showed the jury a picture of a voodoo doll that Church allegedly kept of Randall.—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The superfan experience was touted as an over-the-top, glittery homage to the iconic Mattel doll, but apparently was an epic fail.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Singapore Botanical Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the world's great urban green spaces, inspired everything from the color palette (soft greens, aqua blues, natural wood tones) to the botanical motifs that appear in textiles and art throughout the property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Vintage Guess surf and skate graphics are layered and remixed with Hysteric’s motifs and retro stripes across a range of tees.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Downtown Denver has always been more than office towers and city planning diagrams.—
Steve Weil,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of piecing together diagrams manually, Visio gives you access to thousands of templates and over 250,000 shapes to map out everything from simple flowcharts to complex network diagrams.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But then secondhand prices fell by some ninety per cent.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That delay means any disruption — from refinery outages to global conflicts like the war with Iran — can quickly tighten supply and drive up prices.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figure. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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