as in plumbing
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line
the pilot had to continually fathom the river, which drought conditions had lowered to unprecedented levels
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Recent Examples of fathoming
For starters, even though federal law requires hospitals to list their prices publicly, fathoming these files is almost impossible.
—
Rufina Chow, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Svetlana’s optimistic pretend normalcy and Lyudmila’s practical approach to medication point to impossibility of fathoming the many crushing consequences of the Ukraine crisis.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Rufina Chow, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Svetlana’s optimistic pretend normalcy and Lyudmila’s practical approach to medication point to impossibility of fathoming the many crushing consequences of the Ukraine crisis.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathoming
Verb
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Cisco Oliviera, who fixes plumbing problems at district schools, told the board that his layoff notice arrived on his birthday.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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In fact, improperly using your garbage disposal can lead to stubborn clogs, dull blades, and plumbing emergencies.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Digital platforms, financial tools, and logistics solutions often face challenges scaling without a reliable infrastructure beneath them.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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Enhancing fourth-gen nuclear reactor capabilities The current focus is to demonstrate technological feasibility before scaling to an industrial level.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fathoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathoming. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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