INDEX:
to solve a problem
1. to successfully deal with a problem
2. a solution to a problem
3. when a problem or difficult situation is solved by itself
4. not solved or difficult to solve
to find the answer or explanation to something
5. to find the answer or explanation to something
6. when something is difficult to solve
7. something that has never been solved
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ DEAL WITH
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1. to successfully deal with a problem
▷ solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb]
▪ They thought money would solve all their problems.
▪ The roof used to leak but last week I fitted some new tiles and that seems to have solved the problem.
▪ The government is to launch a new building programme in an attempt to solve the housing crisis.
▷ find/come up with a solution /ˌfaɪnd, kʌm ˌʌp wɪð ə səˈluːʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to think of a way to solve a problem, especially a complicated political or social problem :
▪ Crime is rapidly increasing in our inner cities. We must find a solution.
▪ Civil war seems increasingly likely unless the government comes up with a solution.
find/come up with a solution to
▪ European governments are working together to find a solution to the problem of nuclear waste.
▷ resolve /rɪˈzɒlvǁrɪˈzɑːlv, rɪˈzɔːlv/ [transitive verb] formal
to successfully deal with a problem or unpleasant situation so that it no longer exists :
▪ Talking is the only way to resolve your differences.
▪ It is difficult to see how this conflict can be resolved without taking the matter to court.
▷ put right /ˌpʊt ˈraɪt/ [verb phrase]
to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially by making sure that any damage that has been caused is paid for, removed, stopped etc :
put something right
▪ There seems to be something wrong with the computer but we hope to put it right before too long.
▪ If there is bullying in the classroom, it is the teacher who should put the problem right.
put right something
▪ This government intends to put right everything that the last government did wrong.
▷ cure /kjʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to permanently solve a practical problem so that it does not happen again :
▪ If your computer stops working, re-booting might cure the problem.
▪ Beveridge believed that unemployment could be cured by state intervention.
▷ remedy /ˈremɪdi, ˈremədi/ [transitive verb]
to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially an unfair one, so that the situation no longer exists or is greatly improved :
▪ There have been several tragic rail accidents. The government must act quickly to remedy this situation.
▪ Equal rights for women were necessary to remedy the injustices done to them over the centuries.
▷ sort out /ˌsɔːʳt ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to remove any problems or difficulties from a situation, especially before doing something else :
sort something out
▪ I’m afraid I can’t help you until I’ve sorted my own problems out.
sort things out
▪ There’s been a serious misunderstanding; I’ll try to sort things out and then I’ll phone you back.
sort out something
▪ You can’t possibly start decorating yet. We haven’t sorted out the roof yet.
get something sorted out
▪ I want to get everything sorted out before I leave.
▷ sort /sɔːʳt/ [transitive verb] British informal
to successfully deal with a problem :
▪ Don’t worry about the money. I’ll sort it, OK?
▪ You should be able to sort this without my help.
▷ iron out /ˌaɪəʳn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to remove any small problems or difficulties before you start something, especially by discussing them, so that they do not cause problems later :
iron something out
▪ We need to iron a few things out before we move in together.
iron out something
▪ We decided it was best to iron out our differences at an early stage in the production.
2. a solution to a problem
▷ solution /səˈluːʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
▪ One possible solution might be to borrow the money.
▪ A dentist could put in a temporary filling, but that’s not the perfect solution.
solution to/for
▪ Sleeping tablets are not the best solution to insomnia as they upset the natural rhythm of sleep.
find/come up with a solution
▪ We can help you find a solution to all your financial problems.
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [countable noun]
a way of dealing with a problem or unsatisfactory situation, especially one that has been worrying you for a long time :
▪ The city council has to find a better way of dealing with domestic waste. One answer is to burn it.
answer to
▪ A bank loan seemed like the answer to all our problems.
there are no easy answers
▪ There are no easy answers to today’s environmental problems.
▷ cure /kjʊəʳ/ [countable noun]
a way of dealing with a problem, especially a practical problem, so that it does not happen again :
▪ The experts believe they know the causes of the crime wave but they cannot agree on a cure.
cure for
▪ Adding a little oil into the mechanism is one of the best cures for a noisy engine.
miracle/wonder cure
a very effective cure
▪ It’s not a miracle cure, but moisturiser can make your skin less dry.
▷ remedy /ˈremɪdi, ˈremədi/ [countable noun]
a way of dealing with a problem or unsatisfactory situation by improving it or getting rid of it completely :
▪ If you find it hard to live on your present salary, the best remedy would be to change jobs.
remedy for
▪ One remedy for racial attacks would be to educate our children more about social issues.
▷ panacea /ˌpænəˈsɪə/ [countable noun] formal
something that people hope will solve all their problems :
▪ Electoral reform is not a panacea. It causes almost as many problems as it solves.
panacea for
▪ Librarians welcomed computerization as the panacea for all their cataloguing problems.
▷ way out /ˌweɪ ˈaʊt/ [countable noun]
a way of dealing with an unpleasant situation so that it no longer exists :
▪ We are faced with a very difficult situation, but there must be a way out.
way out of
▪ I don’t see any way out of the present deadlock.
3. when a problem or difficult situation is solved by itself
▷ sort itself out /ˌsɔːʳt ɪtself ˈaʊt/ [verb phrase]
if a problem or unsatisfactory situation sorts itself out, it either stops happening or is solved without you having to do anything :
▪ This situation is not going to sort itself out. We have to do something.
▪ Childhood problems and anxieties have a habit of sorting themselves out.
▷ resolve itself /rɪˈzɒlv ɪtselfǁ-ˈzɑːlv-/ [verb phrase]
if a complicated problem resolves itself, it either stops being a problem or is solved without you having to do anything :
▪ Fortunately, our employee problem resolved itself when two workers moved house and resigned voluntarily.
▪ If we are patient the whole problem will resolve itself in due course.
▷ work out /ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊt/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
if a problem or bad situation works out or works itself out, it gradually gets solved without you having to do anything :
▪ Try not to worry. I’m sure everything will work out in the end.
▪ I’ve found that major problems tent to either go away or somehow work themselves out.
4. not solved or difficult to solve
▷ unresolved /ˌʌnrɪˈzɒlvd◂ǁ-ˈzɑːlvd◂, -ˈzɔːlvd◂/ [adjective]
an unresolved problem still exists because it has not been dealt with successfully :
▪ A number of problems are still unresolved.
▪ The design of the new shopping mall is almost complete, although there are still some unresolved difficulties.
▷ insoluble /ɪnˈsɒljɑb ə lǁɪnˈsɑːl-/ [adjective] formal
an insoluble problem is very difficult or impossible to solve :
▪ The government has to deal with what seems like an insoluble political problem -- racial harmony within the community.
▪ The cleaning-up operation after the oil spill will be difficult but not insoluble.
▷ intractable /ɪnˈtræktəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
an intractable problem is one that is so difficult and complicated that it is impossible to solve it however hard you try :
▪ The disposal of toxic wastes is one of the most intractable problems facing industrialized societies.
5. to find the answer or explanation to something
▷ solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb]
to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery :
▪ The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.
▪ At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.
▪ These games encourage children’s ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.
▷ figure out/work out /ˌfɪgər ˈaʊt, ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊtǁˌfɪgjər-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you :
figure out/work out how/why/what etc
▪ My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven’t figured out how it works.
▪ From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night.
figure/work out something
▪ The police haven’t even managed to figure out a motive.
figure/work something out
▪ Don’t tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself.
▷ find an explanation /ˌfaɪnd ən ekspləˈneɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time :
▪ Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time.
find an explanation for
▪ No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship’s sudden disappearance.
▷ clear up /ˌklɪər ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved :
clear up something
▪ I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me.
clear something up
▪ Can you clear something up for us? How old are you?
▪ The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery.
▷ crack /kræk/ [transitive verb] informal
to find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time :
▪ It’s a tough case but I’m determined to crack it.
▪ Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he’ll just keep on trying till he cracks it.
▷ unravel /ʌnˈræv ə l/ [transitive verb]
to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated :
▪ We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.
▪ Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?
6. when something is difficult to solve
▷ puzzle /ˈpʌz ə l/ [transitive verb]
to be difficult for someone to explain or understand :
▪ There are things that still puzzle me about this new computer system.
▪ What puzzles me about the robbery, is how they managed to enter the building unseen.
puzzling [adjective]
▪ It’s puzzling that no-one saw her leave.
▷ mystify /ˈmɪstɪfaɪ, ˈmɪstəfaɪ/ [transitive verb]
if something mystifies you, it is impossible for you to understand or explain :
▪ Why you want to leave such a good job mystifies me.
▪ Detective Oakley was mystified. He had never seen such a strange set of evidence in the whole of his career.
mystifying [adjective]
▪ The way adults behave is sometimes mystifying to children.
▷ baffle /ˈbæf ə l/ [transitive verb]
if something baffles you it is very confusing and impossible for you to understand :
▪ What baffles me is how anyone could escape from the jail in broad daylight.
▪ We’ve spent weeks investigating this case and it’s got us completely baffled.
baffling [adjective]
▪ I found the whole episode quite baffling.
▷ perplex /pəʳˈpleks/ [transitive verb] formal
if something perplexes you, it is confusing, worrying, and difficult for you to understand :
▪ The question of how the murderer had gained entry to the house perplexed the police for several weeks.
perplexing [adjective]
▪ The deterioration of the ozone layer is a perplexing phenomenon.
7. something that has never been solved
▷ unsolved /ˌʌnˈsɒlvd◂ǁ-ˈsɑːlvd◂, -ˈsɔːlvd◂/ [adjective]
▪ All too often, crimes of violence are left unsolved.
▪ What happened to the men on the expedition will always be an unsolved mystery.
▷ unexplained /ˌʌnɪkˈspleɪnd◂/ [adjective]
an event or fact that is unexplained has never been explained so no one knows exactly what happened :
▪ For years, Sukhbir’s death remained unexplained.
▪ There had been three unexplained fires at the school in the previous six months.