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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | answer, resolve |
| Synonyms: | break*, clarify, clear up, construe, crack*, deal with, decide, decipher, decode, determine, disentangle, divine, do, elucidate, enlighten, explain, expound, fathom, figure out, find out, fix, get, get right, get to the bottom, have, hit, hit upon, illuminate, interpret, iron out, lick*, make a dent, make out, pan out, put two and two together, puzzle, reason, settle, think out, unfold, unlock, unravel, unriddle, untangle, work, work out |
| Antonyms: | pose, question, search, wonder |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | answer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reply, react |
| Synonyms: | acknowledge, answer back, argue, back at you, back talk, be in touch, claim, comeback, contest, counterclaim, defend, deny, disprove, dispute, echo, explain, feedback, field the question, get back at, get back to, give a snappy comeback, parry, plead, rebut, refute, rejoin, remark, resolve, respond, retaliate, retort, return, sass, say, settle, shoot back, solve, squelch, talk back, top* |
| Notes: | an answer is something said, written, or done in return; a reply is an answer that satisfies a detail in a question |
| Antonyms: | ask, question |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | cipher |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | figure out code |
| Synonyms: | break, calculate, clear up, compute, count, decipher, estimate, figure, reckon, resolve, solve, unravel |
| Antonyms: | code |
| Main Entry: | clear up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | explain; resolve |
| Synonyms: | answer, cipher, clarify, decipher, dissolve, elucidate, figure out, illuminate, illustrate, make plausible, make reasonable, puzzle out, resolve, solve, straighten out, tidy, unfold, unravel |
| Antonyms: | complicate, question |
| Main Entry: | crack |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | discover meaning, answer |
| Synonyms: | break, cryptanalyze, decipher, decode, decrypt, fathom, figure out, get answer, solve, work out |
| Antonyms: | misunderstand |
| Main Entry: | decipher |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | figure out, understand |
| Synonyms: | analyze, break, break down, bring out, cipher, construe, crack, decode, deduce, disentangle, dope out, elucidate, encipher, explain, expound, find the key, interpret, make clear, make out, puzzle out, read, render, reveal, solve, spell, translate, unfold, unravel, unriddle |
| Antonyms: | code, encode, scramble |
| Main Entry: | decode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decipher |
| Synonyms: | break, clear up, crack, crack the code, decrypt, figure out, find the solution, interpret, make clear, read, solve, translate, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, untangle, work out |
| Main Entry: | explain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make clear; give a reason for |
| Synonyms: | account for, analyze, annotate, break down, bring out, clarify, clear up, construe, decipher, define, demonstrate, describe, diagram, disclose, elucidate, excuse, explicate, expound, get across, go into detail, illustrate, interpret, justify, make plain, manifest, paraphrase, point out, put across, put in plain English, rationalize, read, refine, render, resolve, reveal, set right, solve, spell out, teach, tell, throw light upon, translate, unfold, unravel, untangle |
| Notes: | explicate also contains the implication that the something of which an account is being given is more complicated or detailed - so while one may explain why a child is crying, one would explicate the meaning of a poem or implications of a legal document; early senses of explain were 'smooth out' and 'spread flat' |
| Antonyms: | be vague, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, perplex |
| Main Entry: | figure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | understand; decide, infer |
| Synonyms: | catch on to, cipher, clear up, comprehend, conclude, crack, decipher, decode, determine, discover, disentangle, dope out, fathom, follow, get*, make heads or tails of, make out, master, opine, puzzle out, reason, resolve, rule, see, settle, solve, suppose, think, think out, unfold, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, untangle |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
