discover
Usage
What are other ways to say discover?
The verb discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before. To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Rebecca leads us on a journey to discover what’s behind the hype.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
Whether it can help discover what humans don’t yet know is the trillion-dollar question.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
"Norwegians are as daft about football as the Scots and I was amazed to discover the number of Doonhamers who are related to or have friends who are Norwegians," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Farah expects astronomers to discover many more "chirping" supernovae once the Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins its unprecedented survey of the night sky.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Madame Babushkinov was furious to discover that their “hotel” was really a barracks, a single large hall with cots all in a row, and a washing-up room they would have to share.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Likewise, viewers will not be startled when Marina eventually discovers painful secrets about her mom and dad that cause her to reconsider those phantom figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
On a reconnaissance mission, Jessie climbs to the roof and discovers the root of this strange standoffishness: Every child, in every window, has their face glued to a screen.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Roman could also provide atmospheric information for thousands of the transiting planets it discovers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
Along with a few other foundlings, Neriya discovers a peculiar sanctuary among a community of corvids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Inside a warped cabinet drawer, miraculously, he discovers a zinc-carbon eleven-volt battery with a black cat printed on the side.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
His interest grew when he discovered that the cave, known as Wogan Cavern, showed little signs of previous excavation - so he "badgered" Dr Rob Dinnis, from the University of Aberdeen, to take a look.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
They discovered that toads from the recovering populations developed these protective peptides much earlier, while they were still tadpoles.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
But the White House soon discovered that its blockade could be a double-edged sword.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
It also launched a massive recruiting blitz that has sometimes resulted in porous vetting, as Slate’s Laura Jedeed discovered when ICE offered her a job after she skipped several screening steps.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
“I guess you’ve discovered the true identity of the Spirit of the Sea.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Van der Velden says that reviewing different AI-generated versions of a scene can sometimes feel like discovering an unexpectedly inspired take from a human actor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
His portrayal of a paleontologist suddenly discovering that the creatures he’s studied in rock and bone have come to life is just masterful.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Bandy found the move immediately challenging — from trying to figure out how to buy a gym locker to discovering her preferred grocery store, every task felt like extra work.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Surely literature is a path to discovering other sensibilities, other universes; “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” by contrast, is about people essentially saying, “This book is meaningful because it reminds me of my life.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
In any case, she was discovering, as had many writers before her, that not all recognition is helpful.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Vocabulary lists containing discover
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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