1
as in to discover
to come to an awareness of
was immediately able to ascertain that the girl was uncomfortable talking about her life at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to find
to come upon after searching, study, or effort
ascertained that their old colonial-era house had once functioned as a tavern
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ascertain
The scale of the violence is difficult to ascertain, according to Shashwat Saraf, the Norwegian Refugee Council's country director for Sudan.
—
Guy Davies, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
This trip was no different, but maybe a bit harder to ascertain.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
The Times points out that one of Spears’ legal arguments is that the Times should have engaged more diligently with Alabama to ascertain facts.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2025
To ascertain a player’s biological age, the height and date of birth of their biological parents is collected and their height and weight tracked every three months or so.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascertain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascertain
Verb
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Two of the daughter’s classmates had discovered the grisly mayhem; at the time of writing, no suspect had been identified.—
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Keep reading to discover more tiny house options at Amazon, as well as essentials to fill your new space with.—
Verb
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Investigators also found eight 9 mm casings fired from a Glock pistol at the scene where Holmes was killed, according to the affidavit.—
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In doing so, the judge found he could not be involved in the handling of the separate probes related to the civil fraud investigation and the NRA.—
Verb
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During her sixth visit to the island, one editor realizes that a little help from the experts goes a long way.—
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Wedding didn’t realize until much later that the FBI was monitoring Acebedo-Garcia’s texts and even directing him what to say.—
Verb
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Questioning the powerful influences that oversee and fund what our children learn is critical.—
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Read on to learn the top driving trends of sensory design in the year ahead.—
Verb
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The Carolina Panthers saw their season come to an end in a way that tugged on all sorts of emotions — after a game that was equal parts thrilling and blissful and heartbreaking.—
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His car was seen arriving shortly before the time the murders were believed to have been committed and left shortly after, according to court documents.—
Verb
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Alternative culture stores and venues are usually located in out-of-the-way areas.—
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Upon arriving at the home, police located a 12-year-old male who had sustained a gunshot wound.—
Verb
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While there are some other small new concessions in the CBA that will help players make ends meet (such as getting access to health benefits in the offseason), to hear ECHLers explain their strike vote, the pay bump was never the driving force.—
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Now, a new jury will hear details of the brutal crime as Braddy again faces execution due to changes in Florida’s death penalty law.—
Verb
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The chairman warned that the outcome of the investigation will determine the future of the central bank’s decisions.—
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Back in October, the Golden Globes announced a longer list of 25 shows eligible for these first-ever podcast nominations, determined by the Globes' data partner, Luminate.—
Cite this Entry
“Ascertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascertain. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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