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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb determine differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of determine are decide, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When is it sensible to use decide instead of determine?

The words decide and determine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When might resolve be a better fit than determine?

The synonyms resolve and determine are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When would rule be a good substitute for determine?

The meanings of rule and determine largely overlap; however, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When can settle be used instead of determine?

Although the words settle and determine have much in common, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

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 determine In these cases, healthcare providers will work to determine the cause. Cathy Nelson, Verywell Health, 31 May 2025 Although Dana Chandler's conviction had been overturned, prosecutors were determined to retry her for the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025 New imagery around season three had previously revealed two new games — a massive gumball machine dispensing red and blue balls (representing the Xs and Os vote that will determine their fates) and the other, a new twist on the iconic Red Light-Green-Light game. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2025 Fowler could not determine whether this was the result of negligence or an operation with malicious intent. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for determine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determine
Verb
  • The attorney general said that after the Supreme Court sided with Glossip earlier this year, his office reviewed the merits of the case against him and decided there is sufficient evidence to secure another conviction.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 9 June 2025
  • Clalit, after a review, decided to dismiss the complaint against Qasem Hassan.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location, for a particular team, for a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • While whiskey remains a cultural touchstone for claims on American identity, the reality is that American consumers have consistently chosen vodka as their spirit of choice for decades.
    Time, Time, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Fears that a serial killer is at large were reignited by the recent discovery of a body in a Texas lake, where 19 corpses have been found over the past three years.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
  • If finding indoor shelter is not an option: Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Bowling Green concludes the regular season November 25 at UMass, the team’s only trip outside the region, though like the other 11 games is in the Eastern Time Zone.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • The Hurricanes conclude the 2025 season with a 35-27 overall record, including a 15-14 record in Atlantic Coast Conference play, and reached their first Super Regional since 2016.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • President Donald Trump credited the National Guard on Sunday for settling the protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in California.
    Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025
  • With the Yankees and Red Sox knotted up, the rivals will look to settle their first series of the season on Sunday Night Baseball.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Losers, despite Wilken’s ruling, figure to be at least some of the walk-ons and partial scholarship athletes whose spots are gone.
    Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
  • To figure that amount, ask your employees to complete Form W-4.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Writing at length is to me always an act of learning and changing, in which authors can strive towards something more dimensional than a platitude on a placard.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
  • However, like getting abs or learning TikTok dances, a certain amount of effort must be invested to get anything worthwhile out of it.
    Anna Pulley, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • On September 2, Border Force officers had stopped two women at London Stansted Airport.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • This move did not stop at regulation but was backed by public education campaigns and investment in local businesses producing biodegradable alternatives.
    Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Determine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determine. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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