INDEX:
1. to find out about something
2. to find out something new or something that was secret
3. when something is found out
4. to find out the exact cause of something
5. to find out information from someone
6. to try to find out something private or personal
7. to try and find out about an accident, crime etc
8. the process of finding out about something
9. something that you find out
10. someone who likes to find out about things
11. someone whose job is to find out about something
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ KNOW/NOT KNOW
↑ LOOK FOR
↑ LEARN
↑ SECRET
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1. to find out about something
▷ find out /ˌfaɪnd ˈaʊt/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to get information about something, either by chance or by deliberately trying to get it :
▪ ‘Do you have these shoes in size 8?’ ‘I’m not sure - I’ll just go and find out.’
▪ When we found out the price we were shocked.
find out what/where/whether etc
▪ I’ll go and find out which platform the train leaves from.
▪ Dad was really mad at me when he found out where I’d been.
find out about
▪ He’s trying to find out about Japanese classes in the area.
find out something/find something out
▪ Could you find out his address for me, please?
▪ ‘John’s been married twice.’ ‘How did you find that out?’
find out (that)
▪ She found out that her husband was having an affair.
▷ discover /dɪsˈkʌvəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to find something out, especially something that is surprising or something that is difficult to find out. Discover is more formal than find out :
▪ Fire officers are still trying to discover the cause of the fire.
discover (that)
▪ I began to learn the guitar, and discovered that I was pretty good at it.
▪ She discovered the job wasn’t as easy as it might seem.
discover how/why/what etc
▪ They never discovered who the murderer was.
▷ see /siː/ [intransitive/transitive verb] especially spoken
to get the information that you want by going somewhere to look, or by doing something and noticing what happens :
▪ ‘Is he ready yet?’ ‘I don’t know - I’ll go and see.’
see if/whether
▪ See if the rice is done while you’re in the kitchen, will you?
see how/where/what etc
▪ Can you see who’s at the door?
▪ Let’s see what happens if we add some oil.
▷ hear /hɪəʳ/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
to know about something because someone has told you, you have read about it, seen it on television etc :
▪ ‘Nina’s quit her job.’ ‘Yes, so I’ve heard.’
hear about
▪ How did you hear about our company?
▪ We’ve heard such a lot about you from our daughter.
hear (that)
▪ I hear you’re moving to Toronto.
hear whether/if
▪ When will you hear whether you’ve got the job?
hear what/why/how etc
▪ I suppose you’ve heard what happened?
▷ be told /biː ˈtəʊld/ [verb phrase]
to find out about something because someone tells you :
be told (that)
▪ He was told that Anna had left some time ago.
▪ Visitors have been told the building will be used as a museum.
so I’m told
spoken
▪ ‘Is it true that she’s moving to Hollywood?’ ‘So I’m told.’
▷ find /faɪnd/ [transitive verb] especially written
to find out a fact or find out that something is true, especially by asking questions :
find that
▪ We found that, despite their poverty, very few people wanted to leave the area.
▪ Researchers found that smokers were more likely to get depressed than non-smokers.
▷ learn /lɜːʳn/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
to find out something because someone tells you, you read it somewhere etc :
▪ I doubt if we will ever learn the truth.
learn of/about
▪ She learned of her mother’s death when it was announced on the radio.
learn (that)
▪ Several months ago, McNair learned that he had cancer.
▷ gather /ˈgæðəʳ/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to know a piece of information because that is what you hear people saying and not because you have been told it directly :
gather (that)
▪ I gather you’ve decided not to resign after all.
▪ Despite my limited Spanish, I gathered that there was a problem with my passport.
from what somebody can gather
according to what I have found out
▪ From what I can gather, there has been fighting further down the valley.
▷ come to somebody’s attention/notice /ˌkʌm tə somebodyˈs əˈtenʃ ə n, ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase] formal
if something such as a problem or a mistake comes to someone’s attention or notice, that person finds out about it, especially because someone else tells them about it :
▪ Illegal trading first came to the attention of top management in late April.
come to sb’s attention/notice that
▪ It has come to my notice that your account is overdrawn by £200.
▷ hear through/on the grapevine /ˌhɪəʳ θruː, ɒn ðə ˈgreɪpvaɪn/ [verb phrase]
to find out about something because the information has been passed on from one person to another in conversation :
▪ ‘How did you find out she was leaving?’ ‘I heard it through the grapevine.’
hear through/on the grapevine that
▪ I heard on the grapevine that Josie and Tom are expecting a baby.
2. to find out something new or something that was secret
▷ find out /ˌfaɪnd ˈaʊt/ []
▪ He just had to hope he’d get away with it and that nobody would find out.
▪ She doesn’t want people to find out her age.
▪ You read her diary? Just make sure she never finds out!
find out what/why/how etc
▪ Dad was furious when he found out where I was living.
find out about
▪ It’s a surprise party, so I don’t want her to find out about it.
find out (that)
▪ It was three months before my parents found out I’d been going out with Peter.
find somebody out
find out someone’s secret British
▪ It won’t work. Someone’s bound to find you out eventually.
▷ uncover/unearth /ʌnˈkʌvəʳ, ʌnˈɜːʳθ/ [transitive verb]
to find out information that has been deliberately kept secret, especially while you are studying or examining a particular subject :
▪ Detectives have uncovered a plan to smuggle illegal weapons into the country.
▪ Lawyers unearthed evidence that he held several bank accounts.
▷ dig up /ˌdɪg ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find out information by searching carefully for it, especially information about someone’s past that they have deliberately tried to keep secret :
dig something up/dig up something
▪ I wanted to dig a few more facts up for my article.
dig up dirt on somebody
find out something bad about someone
▪ Politicians try to dig up dirt on their opponents.
dig something up on somebody
▪ He wanted as much evidence as could be dug up on the girl.
▷ get at /ˈget æt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find something out, especially the truth about a situation, or facts that someone has tried to hide :
▪ It’s hard to get at the facts when people are afraid to speak out.
▪ He was a good reporter, who wanted to get at the truth and present it without bias.
▷ get wind of /ˌget ˈwɪnd ɒv/ [verb phrase] informal
to find out about a situation or something that is going to happen, especially when it is supposed to be secret :
▪ Reporters somehow got wind of the fact that Carr was going to be arrested.
▷ get wise to /ˌget ˈwaɪz tuː/ [verb phrase] informal
to find out about something such as a trick or an illegal activity :
▪ The police parked an empty patrol car there to reduce speeding, but drivers got wise to it pretty quickly.
3. when something is found out
▷ come out /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something that people knew nothing about comes out, people find out about it, especially as a result of an official inquiry :
▪ The truth about the scandal came out long after he had left office.
▪ A few new facts came out at the trial.
it comes out that
▪ During the hearing it came out that she had tried to commit suicide.
▷ come to light/be brought to light /ˌkʌm tə ˈlaɪt, biː ˌbrɔːt tə ˈlaɪt/ [verb phrase]
if new information or a new fact comes to light or is brought to light, people find out about it :
▪ Fresh evidence has come to light since the report was published.
▪ Some serious problems have been brought to light by the latest report on health and safety.
it comes to light that/it is brought to light that
▪ It came to light that the CIA knew he was a security risk.
▷ emerge /ɪˈmɜːʳdʒ/ [intransitive verb]
if facts emerge from a meeting or an inquiry, people find out about them :
▪ More details of the plan emerged at yesterday’s meeting.
it emerges that
▪ During the court case it emerged that both men had convictions for terrorist offences.
▷ leak /liːk/ [transitive verb]
if someone within a government or organization leaks official information, they secretly tell the public or a newspaper about it :
▪ Someone at the Pentagon leaked a letter from the Secretary of Defense.
▪ Information on the merger had been leaked to the press.
▷ get out /ˌget ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a piece of information gets out, people find out about it even though other people have tried very hard to keep it secret :
▪ If any of this gets out, we’ll be in serious trouble.
word/news etc gets out
▪ If word gets out that Jordan is here, we’ll be mobbed.
it gets out that
▪ If it gets out that we knew about this, we’ll lose all our clients.
▷ it transpires that /ɪt trænˈspaɪəʳz ðət/ formal
if it transpires that something is true, people find out that it is true :
▪ It now transpires that the prime minister knew about the deal all along.
4. to find out the exact cause of something
▷ determine /dɪˈtɜːʳmɪn, dɪˈtɜːʳmən/ [transitive verb]
to find out the exact details or facts about something, especially by using technical methods and equipment :
▪ ‘Web police’ are often able to determine the exact source of unwanted mailings on the Internet.
determine what/why/how etc
▪ Quizzes are used to determine how much material students have learned.
determine that
▪ A survey of traffic accidents determined that seat belts reduced serious injuries by up to 90%.
▷ establish /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ [transitive verb]
to find out facts that will prove how something happened or what caused it :
▪ We haven’t yet established the cause of the accident.
establish that
▪ It was quickly established that several members of the crew had been negligent.
establish how/where/why etc
▪ They are carrying out research to establish exactly why so many species of songbird are disappearing.
▷ identify /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ, aɪˈdentəfaɪ/ [transitive verb]
to find out exactly what the cause or origin of something is :
▪ After years of research, scientists have identified the virus that is responsible for the disease.
▪ Experts are examining the wreckage, but the cause of the accident has not yet been identified.
▷ pinpoint /ˈpɪnpɔɪnt/ [transitive verb]
to find out exactly what something is, when something happened, or what exactly is causing something :
▪ Investigators are trying to pinpoint the cause of the fire.
▪ Mechanics are having difficulty pinpointing the problem.
pinpoint what/how/when etc
▪ The test is meant to pinpoint which types of jobs you are suited for.
▷ diagnose /ˈdaɪəgnəʊzǁ-nəʊs/ [transitive verb]
to find out what is wrong with someone or something, especially what illness someone has, by making a careful examination :
▪ If cervical cancer is diagnosed in its early stages, it can be cured.
diagnose somebody as having something
find out that they have a particular disease
▪ Several years ago, she was diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease.
diagnose something as something
▪ Programmers diagnosed the problem as a computer virus.
diagnose what/how/where etc
▪ There are various methods for diagnosing what is wrong with a sick person.
diagnosis /ˌdaɪəgˈnəʊsɪs, ˌdaɪəgˈnəʊsəs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Much progress has been made in the diagnosis of genetic diseases.
5. to find out information from someone
▷ find out /ˌfaɪnd ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find out information from someone by asking them questions or by forcing them to tell you :
find out something
▪ ‘Did you find out her views on the subject?’ ‘No, she wouldn’t tell me.’
find out what/how/when etc
▪ He asked me to find out what your plans are after you leave.
find something out
▪ Will you see if you can find anything out about Sandy?
▷ get something out of /ˌget something ˈaʊt ɒv/ [verb phrase] informal
to find out a particular piece of information from someone, especially by forcing them to tell you :
▪ Jed admitted he’d been at the scene, but that’s all I could get out of him.
▪ We’ll get the truth out of her sooner or later.
▷ get information /ˌget ɪnfəʳˈmeɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to find out something from a person, a book, the Internet etc :
▪ To get more information, telephone or contact us on our website.
▪ You will be able to get most of the information you need from the school library.
get information about/on
▪ I’ve written to the tourist information centre to get some information about the area.
▷ extract /ɪkˈstrækt/ [transitive verb] formal
to find out information from someone who does not want to give it, by asking them questions or by using physical force :
▪ Police questioned the prisoner for several hours, but were unable to extract any further information.
extract something from somebody
▪ The court ruled that her confession had been unlawfully extracted from her.
▷ worm something out of /ˌwɜːʳm something ˈaʊt ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to find out information from someone who is unwilling to give it, especially by being clever, making them feel they can trust you etc :
▪ He didn’t want to tell me her name but I managed to worm it out of him.
▷ drag something out of /ˌdræg something ˈaʊt ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to get information from someone who does not want to tell you it, especially by asking a lot of questions :
▪ If she doesn’t want to tell you, there’s no point in trying to drag it out of her.
6. to try to find out something private or personal
▷ snoop /snuːp/ [intransitive verb]
to try to find out about someone’s private affairs, especially by secretly looking in their house, examining their possessions etc :
▪ Bob caught her snooping through the papers on his desk.
snoop on
▪ Technology is making it easier to snoop on just about anybody.
snoop around/about
British
▪ What are you doing snooping around in my room?
▷ pry /praɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to try to find out about someone’s private life by asking a lot of personal questions in a way that people find rude or annoying :
▪ My son hasn’t given us a reason for his divorce, and we don’t want to pry.
pry into
▪ Employers shouldn’t try to pry into what a person does in the privacy of their own home.
▷ nose around /about British /ˌnəʊz əˈraʊnd, əˈbaʊt/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb] informal
to look around a place, especially someone’s home or office, to try to find out things that do not really concern you :
▪ The kids were nosing around in the attic and found a box of old photos.
nose around an office/room/house etc
▪ I got suspicious when I found him nosing around my office early one morning.
7. to try and find out about an accident, crime etc
▷ investigate /ɪnˈvestɪgeɪt, ɪnˈvestəgeɪt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to try to find out the truth about a crime, an accident, or a problem, especially by using careful and thorough methods :
▪ Police are investigating an explosion at the city store.
▪ We sent our reporter, Michael Gore, to investigate.
▪ The commission will investigate the cause of the accident, focusing especially on safety issues.
▷ make inquiries/enquiries /ˌmeɪk ɪnˈkwaɪ ə riz/ [verb phrase] especially British
to ask people questions about a person, crime, accident etc in order to find out information about it :
▪ A reporter who tried to make inquiries was arrested.
make inquiries/enquiries into/about
▪ Police are making inquiries into the theft of a quantity of explosives.
▪ He had made a few inquiries and learnt that she inherited the money from her father.
▷ go into /ˌgəʊ ˈɪntuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to try to find out the facts of a situation in order to explain why it happened :
▪ ‘How did Blake manage to escape?’ ‘That’s something that we will have to go into.’
▪ The headteacher promised the parents that he would be going into the matter of bullying very thoroughly.
▷ probe /prəʊb/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to carefully and thoroughly try to find out all the facts about a situation, especially when someone wants to keep these a secret :
▪ The Secretary of State is probing claims of election fraud.
probe for
▪ Reporters began probing for more information.
probe into
▪ The press have been criticised for probing too deeply into the actor’s private life.
▷ look into /ˌlʊk ˈɪntuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if someone in an official position looks into a problem or bad situation, they try to find out more about it so that the situation can be improved :
▪ The manager promised to look into my complaint.
▪ Police are looking into the possibility that the bomb warning was a hoax.
▪ Callahan hired me to look into the accident.
▷ solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb]
if someone solves a crime or a mystery, they get all the information they need so that they can explain exactly what happened :
▪ Detectives are trying to solve the murder of a young girl.
▪ Officials hope the Navy will solve the mystery of four bombs that are missing from the wreckage of a military jet.
▷ be under investigation /biː ˌʌndər ɪnvestə̇ˈgeɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
if a person, organization etc is under investigation, the police are trying to find out if they are involved in a crime or illegal activity :
▪ A health club is currently under investigation by Boston detectives.
▪ Several of the company’s executives are under investigation.
8. the process of finding out about something
▷ investigation /ɪnˌvestɪˈgeɪʃ ə n, ɪnˌvestəˈgeɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a process by which the police or another official organization tries to find out the truth about a crime or accident :
▪ Following a major police investigation, two men have been arrested.
investigation into
▪ The investigation into the cause of the air crash is continuing.
carry out an investigation
▪ Prison officials are carrying out a full investigation after two prisoners escaped from a prison vehicle.
full/thorough investigation
▪ The Senator promised a thorough investigation into the fund-raising activities of both parties.
▷ inquiry also enquiry British /ɪnˈkwaɪ ə riǁ ɪnˈkwaɪ ə ri, ˈɪŋkwəri/ [countable noun]
a series of official meetings at which people try to find out why something happened :
▪ The inquiry will be supervised by a senior judge.
inquiry into
▪ Local people are calling for an inquiry into the accident.
hold an inquiry
▪ An inquiry will be held to discover why the school’s educational record is so bad.
▷ inquest /ˈɪŋkwest/ [countable noun]
a legal process in Britain to find out why someone died :
▪ The inquest heard that Mr Bovary was found hanging by a rope in his bedroom.
inquest into
▪ an inquest into the death of a 54-year-old woman
hold an inquest
▪ An inquest will be held into the actor’s death.
▷ autopsy /post mortem British /ˈɔːtɒpsiǁ-tɑːp-, ˌpəʊst ˈmɔːʳtəm/ [countable noun]
a medical examination of a dead person’s body, done in order to officially find out why the person died :
▪ If she died of a drug overdose, it will show up in the autopsy.
▪ The post mortem revealed that the man had been shot in the back.
9. something that you find out
▷ discovery /dɪsˈkʌv ə ri/ [countable noun]
something such as a new fact or method that someone has found out, either accidentally or as a result of careful examination or questions :
▪ At first I did not realize the importance of my discovery.
discovery that
▪ An investigation was ordered after the discovery that $89,000 was missing from the account.
discovery about
▪ The depletion of the ozone layer has been one of the most dramatic discoveries about our planet in recent years.
▷ finding /ˈfaɪndɪŋ/ [countable noun usually plural]
the information that someone has found out as a result of examining something carefully :
▪ One of the findings was that many cases of ‘stomach flu’ are caused by improper cooking of food.
▪ The police force has had its image severely battered by the commission’s findings.
10. someone who likes to find out about things
▷ curious /ˈkjʊ ə riəs/ [adjective]
wanting to find out about someone or something because you are very interested in them :
▪ ‘Why do you want to know about Catherine?’ ‘Oh no reason. I’m just curious.’
▪ Being naturally curious animals, cats often find their way into dangerous places.
curious about
▪ Even young children often become curious about drugs.
curious to learn/know/see etc
▪ It was a weird situation, and I was curious to learn more.
curiously [adverb]
▪ ‘Why are you wearing that ring?’ said Sally, looking at me curiously.
▷ curiosity /ˌkjʊ ə riˈɒsɪti, ˌkjʊ ə riˈɒsətiǁ-ˈɑːs-/ [uncountable noun]
the desire to find out about things :
▪ Events like these excite a child’s natural curiosity.
curiosity about
▪ Olly was bursting with curiosity about the new house.
satisfy somebody’s curiosity
tell them about something so that they are no longer curious
▪ To satisfy vistors’ curiosity, park officials have prepared maps on which the historical sites are clearly marked.
▷ inquisitive /ɪnˈkwɪzɪtɪv, ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv/ [adjective]
always wanting to find out about what people are doing, how things work, what is happening etc :
▪ Jenny was a very inquisitive child, always asking ‘why?’
▪ The crowded room was filled with lights, cameras, and inquisitive reporters.
▪ The kids were wide-eyed and inquisitive.
inquisitively [adverb]
▪ He peered inquisitively into the open window.
▷ nosy /ˈnəʊzi/ [adjective]
always wanting to find out things that do not concern you, especially other people’s private affairs :
▪ A nosy neighbor actually videotaped them in their own backyard.
▪ At first, the children are afraid to ask questions they think might be impolite or nosy.
11. someone whose job is to find out about something
▷ investigator /ɪnˈvestɪgeɪtəʳ, ɪnˈvestəgeɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone whose job it is to find out about situations, crimes, problems etc in order to explain them :
▪ A team of special investigators have gone to the scene of the explosion.
▪ The investigator has concluded that they were making a false insurance claim.
▷ private investigator/private detective /ˌpraɪvɪt ɪnˈvestəgeɪtəʳ, ˌpraɪvət ɪnˈvestəgeɪtəʳ, ˌpraɪvə̇t dɪˈtektɪv/ [countable noun]
someone who people pay to find out about such things as a person’s disappearance, someone’s secret activities etc, but who does not work for the police :
▪ She hired a private detective to find her husband.
▪ A private investigator had been engaged to watch Mr Hart and report on his activities.
▷ detective /dɪˈtektɪv/ [countable noun]
a police officer whose job is to find out the facts about crimes and who is responsible for them :
▪ I’m a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
▪ Detectives made a TV appeal for anyone with any information about the crime to contact them.