solvesolve /sɒlv $ sɑːlv/ ●●● S2 W3 verb [transitive] 
Charlie thinks money will solve all his problems. the best way of solving our dilemma2to find the correct answer to a problem or the explanation for something that is difficult to understandsolve a crime/mystery/case etc More than 70% of murder cases were solved last year. attempts to solve a mathematical equationsolve a puzzle/riddle—solvable adjectiveCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1nounssolve a problem· He solved the problem by moving the aggressive fish to a separate tank.solve a crisis· Congress had not been able to solve the financial crisis.solve a dispute/conflict· They have agreed to solve their disputes solely by peaceful means.solve a dilemma· Can you solve my dilemma?solve somebody's difficulties· You can't solve your difficulties by running away.solve a question· Did they really think the Jerusalem question would be solved in a week?COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2nounssolve a crime/case· The crime was never solved.solve a murder· Police have called for witnesses to help them solve the murder.solve a mystery· Staff at the library think they have solved the mystery.solve a puzzle· You progress through the game by solving puzzles.solve a riddle· They still haven't really solved the riddle of how the pyramids were built.solve an equation· At the age of six, he could solve complicated mathematical equations.
WORD ORIGINsolve
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin solvere ‘to loosen, solve, dissolve, pay’VERB TABLE
solve
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | solve |
| he, she, it | solves | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | solved |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have solved |
| he, she, it | has solved | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had solved |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will solve |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have solved |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am solving |
| he, she, it | is solving | |
| you, we, they | are solving | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was solving |
| you, we, they | were solving | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been solving |
| he, she, it | has been solving | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been solving |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be solving |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been solving |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- According to Greek legend, it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the Sphinx.
- At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.
- Casey is very good at solving crossword puzzles.
- Detectives are trying to solve the murder of a young girl.
- I'm never going to solve this puzzle - it's impossible.
- Officials hope the Navy will solve the mystery of four bombs that are missing from the wreckage of a military jet.
- Simply making drugs legal will not solve our nation's drug problem.
- The government is to launch a new building programme in an attempt to solve the housing crisis.
- The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.
- The roof used to leak but last week I fitted some new tiles and that seems to have solved the problem.
- These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.
- They thought money would solve all their problems.
- In reality that would only increase white racism and try to solve with money a problem that can not be bribed away.
- The second world war had solved the problems of the 1930s depression.
- There is now considerable interest in the assessment of processes, problem solving strategies, and creativity in mathematics.
- There were a number of problems to be faced, but one by one he managed to solve them.
- To solve these problems takes vision as well.
- Well, that solves that problem, she thinks to herself.
- You chaps usually bring as much trouble with you as you solve.
Longman Language Activatorto successfully deal with a problem
· 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
a solution to a problem · 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
when a problem or difficult situation is solved by itself 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.
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.
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.
not solved or difficult to solve 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.
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.
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.
to find the answer or explanation to something 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
when something is difficult to solve 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.
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.
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.
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.
something that has never been solved · All too often, crimes of violence are left unsolved.· What happened to the men on the expedition will always be an unsolved mystery.
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.
to find or calculate the answer to a question to find the correct answer to a question, problem, or sum by thinking about it carefully or doing calculations: · I'm never going to solve this puzzle - it's impossible.· According to Greek legend, it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the Sphinx.
to find the answer, usually a number or amount, to a calculation: work/figure something out: · It's all right, I don't need a calculator. I can work it out in my head.· I'm sure they owe me more money than that - I'll have to sit down and figure it out.work out/figure out something: · Using a calculator, work out the answers to the following questions.
to try and find out about an accident, crime etc 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WORD SETSabacus, nounalgebra, nounangle, nounarc, nounarea, nounarithmetic, nounarithmetic, adjectivearithmetic progression, nounaxis, nounbar chart, nounbar graph, nounbase, nounbinomial, nounbisect, verbBoolean, adjectiveC, nouncalculator, nouncalculus, nouncanonical, adjectivechord, nouncipher, nouncircumference, nouncircumscribe, verbcompass, nouncomplementary, adjectivecomputation, nouncompute, verbconcentric, adjectivecone, nouncongruent, adjectiveconical, adjectiveconstant, nouncontain, verbcoordinate, nouncoordinate, adjectivecos, cosine, nouncube, nouncubic, adjectivecurvature, nouncurve, nouncut, verbdeci-, prefixdeviation, noundiagonal, adjectivediameter, noundifferential calculus, noundigit, noundimension, noundomain, nouneccentric, adjectiveellipse, nounelliptical, adjectiveequal, adjectiveequal, verbequals sign, nounequation, nounequilateral triangle, nounexponential, adjectiveexpress, verbexpression, nounface, nounfigure, nounflow chart, nounformula, nounfraction, nounfractional, adjectivefunction, noungeometric, adjectivegeometry, noungraph, noungraphically, adverbgraph paper, noungrid, nounHCF, helix, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhistogram, nounhypotenuse, nounimperial, adjectiveimproper fraction, nouninfinity, nouninformation theory, nouninnumerate, adjectiveinto, prepositioninverse, adjectiveisosceles triangle, nounline graph, log, nounlogarithm, nounlong division, nounlozenge, nounmath, nounmathematical, adjectivemathematician, nounmathematics, nounmatrix, nounmean, adjectivemedian, nounmedian, adjectivemetric, adjectiveminus, prepositionminus, nounminus, adjectiveminus sign, nounminute, nounmultiplication, nounmultiplication sign, nounmultiplication table, nounmultiply, verbN, nounnumber, nounnumerate, adjectivenumeration, nounoblong, adjectiveobtuse angle, nounoctagon, nounoval, nounparabola, nounparallel, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpentagon, nounpercentage, nounperimeter, nounperpendicular, nounpi, nounpictogram, nounpie chart, nounplane, nounplane geometry, nounplus, prepositionplus, nounplus, adjectiveplus sign, nounpolygon, nounpolyhedron, nounpower, nounprism, nounprobability, nounproof, nounproportion, nounproposition, nounprotractor, nounquadrangle, nounquadrant, nounquadratic equation, nounquadri-, prefixquadrilateral, nounradius, nounratio, nounrectangle, nounrectilinear, adjectiverecur, verbrhombus, nounright angle, nounright-angled triangle, nounroot, nounruler, nounscale, nounscalene triangle, nounscatter diagram, section, nounsegment, nounsemicircle, nounset square, nounsine, nounslide rule, nounsolid, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolve, verbsphere, nounsquare, adjectivesquare, nounsquare, verbsquare, adverbsquarely, adverbsquare root, nounsubset, nounsubtract, verbsubtraction, nounsum, nounsurface area, nounsymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountangent, nounterm, nountheorem, nounthreefold, adjectivetimes, prepositiontrapezium, nountriangle, nountrigonometry, nountwo-dimensional, adjectivevalue, nounvariable, nounvector, nounVenn diagram, nounvertex, nounvertical, adjectivevolume, nounwork, verbX, nounx-axis, nouny-axis, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1nouns He thought he had solved the puzzle. See if you can solve this riddle. The police have been unable to solve the riddle of her disappearance.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
· He solved the problem by moving the aggressive fish to a separate tank.
· Congress had not been able to solve the financial crisis.
· They have agreed to solve their disputes solely by peaceful means.
· Can you solve my dilemma?
· You can't solve your difficulties by running away.
· Did they really think the Jerusalem question would be solved in a week?
Meaning 2nouns· The crime was never solved.
· Police have called for witnesses to help them solve the murder.
· Staff at the library think they have solved the mystery.
· You progress through the game by solving puzzles.
· They still haven't really solved the riddle of how the pyramids were built.
· At the age of six, he could solve complicated mathematical equations.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· It took ten years for the police to solve the crime.
· People often need help with resolving their dilemmas.
· For homework, solve the equations on page 56.
(=find out who murdered someone)· The murder has never been solved.
(=find out what happened)· The children were given the clues and had to try to solve the mystery.
(also fix a problem informal)· He solved his financial problems by selling his car.
He thought he had solved the puzzle. See if you can solve this riddle. The police have been unable to solve the riddle of her disappearance.· Data Harvest has a differentiated approach to solving hardware problems.· Together these two technologies could provide a whole brain approach to problem solving.· McClellan's is the most sophisticated approach yet designed towards solving these logistic problems.· This approach does not solve the problem of continuity that depends on more than the single preceding node.· We therefore apply a finite-difference approach to solving the required equations.· A better approach is to adopt a serial approach and solve them over a number of stages. 4.· At the same time it launched an ideological offensive launched to justify this approach to solving the crisis.· In an interesting approach to solving collaborative site management issues, you can add extra columns to the listings.
· It represents an attempt to solve the problem by logic-chopping.· FoxTrax attempts to solve this problem with a puck stuffed with circuit boards and infrared emitters.· A 14-point programme was debated in an attempt to solve the situation in the republic.· The non-linearity of this equation introduces considerable difficulty into any attempt at solving the general problem.· A pioneer of philanthropic attempts to solve this crisis was Octavia Hill.
· He just happened to be there after solving another case.· He basically solved this case for the prosecution.· Doug was sure that would be the major step in solving the case, one way or another.· He praised protective agency investigators for doing a good job in trying to solve cases of abuse.· But only after everything is solved, another case filed away.· Smiffy Blue is competent enough to solve his cases.· At a news conference today police confirmed that they were still no nearer to solving the case.· It's more than two months since Jim Eggleton was murdered and police say they're still no closer to solving the case.
· Will Robin solve the fiendish crimes?· The two casts of characters, although ostensibly cooperating to solve a crime of mutual interest, detest each other.· The role of the press is rarely condemnatory of the police and usually supportive of the official efforts to solve crime.· Koch decides once again to solve the crime.· Besides, he reasoned, he might even get closer to solving the crime this way.· He made no headway, came not one step closer to solving the crime.· Sometimes they are keen to have media help in solving a crime, other times they are more reluctant.· He has vowed to solve the crime almost as often as he has vowed to resume the life he used to live.
· But I can not see it solving the crisis of the socialist left.· I have solved the corn crisis by dedicating a single bed to growing sweet corn.· A pioneer of philanthropic attempts to solve this crisis was Octavia Hill.· I have some suggestions for helping to solve the water crisis felt in some places out west.· At the same time it launched an ideological offensive launched to justify this approach to solving the crisis.· Unexpectedly, the satellite radio helped to solve the cash crisis.
· To do that there may be times when we need to put trust in a professional to help solve our difficulties.· Rents did not, however, necessarily solve the difficulties of town finance.· Some people suggest that the removal of tolls would help to solve the difficulties to a great extent.· The subsection provides a simple method of solving the difficulty created if a licensing board is not timeously or fully elected.· It's not bad to succeed, to excel, and it's always satisfying to solve a difficulty.· Too many too easily turn to divorce to solve their difficulties of conflict.· But so far as the confusions about to be examined are concerned, it does not solve the difficulty.
· Given that an equilibrium exists, it can be found by solving these equations.· Using the equilibrium condition Q, Qi solve the equations to determine equilibrium price.· First, we can not solve the equations for the very large number of particles involved.· One boy was solving a quadratic equation, another was engaged with Euclid.· First, we can not solve the equations.· We next go on to solve these equations of motion.· But it is just too hard to solve the equations when there are more than a few particles involved.· Even in the simpler Newtonian theory of gravity, one can solve the equations exactly only in the case of two particles.
· Second, once identified, can they be of any use in helping us solve real-life issues?· This Summit meeting was supposed to solve critical issues facing the Lakers and Houston Rockets.· In an interesting approach to solving collaborative site management issues, you can add extra columns to the listings.· Guess how the Management Plan advises solving these issues?· Killing is not going to solve the issue.
· It is Joan and Ted's hope that even now some one may know something that can solve Brian's murder.· In Central News tonight: Find our son's killer: Ten thousand pounds to solve a murder.· And proof at last: Genetic testing solves a murder, thirteen years on.· No, Mr Holmes, we use the computer to solve the murder.· Mr Muncie, now dead, solved 53 Lanarkshire murders, including those by Peter Manuel.
· Never fear, messieurs, we shall have this mystery solved in time of nothing at all.· Even when all the falling in love and car chasing and mystery solving goes on among the white folks.· At the end of every chapter there is always still a mystery to solve.· The mystery has been solved, but the sense of implication has only spread.· A little smile of triumph touched his mouth. Mystery solved.· Naturally, I am grateful that this mystery has been solved.· And, of course, the mystery was soon solved by the following utterance.· When the mystery is solved, a quest with new clues can be started.
· With commitment and amounts of cash that seemed paltry when compared with government defence budgets, that problem could be solved.· Liquid problems are usually solved after age 7 or 8.· For zoos, evolution is a problem harder to solve than is the diet of the gorilla.· Working together, the union, consultant, and management representatives proposed a series of Saturday training sessions on problem solving.· There are, in fact, at least two separate problems to be solved, both of them enormously difficult.· He wants to know about specifics, about problems and how I solve them.· The problem of sterility is solved when seen through the eyes of kinship.· They thought problems existed to be solved.
· As I walked around that charming town, I undertook the task of solving the puzzle she had set for me.· Using quantum theory to understand gravity makes as much sense as trying solve a crossword puzzle with the key to your door.· He needed to solve the puzzle that was Harold Piper.· Results of tests on two more carcasses may solve the puzzle, she added.· There were two ways of solving a scientific puzzle, they said.· It solves some of the puzzles mentioned for proper names.· One way of solving the puzzle would be to use the second law.· He thought that the way to solve archaeological puzzles was to weigh the opposing authorities.
· Often the problem can be solved at once; other questions have shown up problems with the data or with the SASPAC91 software.· She was more interested in having them describe and demonstrate how they went about solving the question at hand.
· Yet we have been programmed to be curious, to question, to probe and to seek to solve riddles.· As if a degree could solve the riddle of Comrade Cancer.· How could he make sense of it all unless he could first solve the riddle of himself?· On his wanderings Oedipus came to Thebes, solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and thus delivered the city.· Vechey probably carried the vases around trying to solve the riddle.
· Increasingly, researchers have attempted to conceptualize speaker variables in such a way as to solve a widening range of substantive problems.· The emphasis is less on getting the correct answer and more on being resourceful in finding ways of solving problems.· The Community is now on the way to solving these problems on the following lines.· It says that as a society, we believe violence is one way to solve certain problems.· It needs an exceptional way to solve exceptional problems.· One way to solve this problem would be to involve all preschool children in the assessment and counseling session. 6.· He also put in much of his own time and appeared to have a way of solving most problems.· He thought that the way to solve archaeological puzzles was to weigh the opposing authorities.
· There were two ways of solving a scientific puzzle, they said.· The emphasis is less on getting the correct answer and more on being resourceful in finding ways of solving problems.· This book clearly indicates the problems, and some of the ways they might be solved.· There were various ways of solving the problem.· There are a number of ways of solving this such as ....
VERB· Unfortunately, Howard Reich, a Chicago music critic, fails to solve the mystery of the pianist's rise and disappearance.· Public officials should be ashamed they failed to solve the problem before this.· But it failed to solve, or even adequately address, the problems of the small-business people in the area.
· Market research is the first place you go to help solve this initial problem.· Congress could help solve this problem later this year when it begins reforming the 600-page Higher Education Act of 1965.· In 1996, Internet service providers will help solve the problem, giving users number-free addresses based on their real names.· The conflict and anxiety approach has worrying implications when it comes to trying to help people solve their problems.· For instance, I bet it can't help us solve the problem of waiting lists?· I have some suggestions for helping to solve the water crisis felt in some places out west.· It will also construct computer simulations of skill to help solve the design problems.· And it has helped solve the two major parties' identity crises.
· He needed to solve the puzzle that was Harold Piper.· Now we needed to solve the second biggest problem in our lives, paying off the credit-card and installment debt.· But we do not need to solve this conundrum, for the picture painted is unreal.· Something was needed to solve all the interface, translation, transformation, and interpretation problems that were driving application developers crazy.· What is needed to solve today's maintenance problems?· However, he said it needs a freeway to solve the problem.· Pupils experienced difficulties in applying skills in new contexts, and in understanding what skills were needed to solve new problems.· Often, we have to research to secure some of the data we need in order to solve a problem.
· Instead of trying to solve the problem all at once there is an attempt to create sub-problems.· Using quantum theory to understand gravity makes as much sense as trying solve a crossword puzzle with the key to your door.· But on a more fundamental level the fiasco illustrates the futility of trying to solve political decisions by mathematical models.· We are going forward step by step, and trying to solve problems peacefully.· Vechey probably carried the vases around trying to solve the riddle.· How would you try to solve the problem?· Ministry of Defence engineers have tried to solve the problem of the leaking oil without resorting to drilling into the wreck.· The conflict and anxiety approach has worrying implications when it comes to trying to help people solve their problems.
WORD FAMILYnounsolutionsolventsolubilityinsolvencyadjectivesoluble ≠ insolubleunsolvedsolvent ≠ insolventsolvable ≠ insolvableverbsolveadverbinsolvably
1to find or provide a way of dealing with a problem: Charlie thinks money will solve all his problems. the best way of solving our dilemma2to find the correct answer to a problem or the explanation for something that is difficult to understandsolve a crime/mystery/case etc More than 70% of murder cases were solved last year. attempts to solve a mathematical equationsolve a puzzle/riddle—solvable adjectiveCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1nounssolve a problem· He solved the problem by moving the aggressive fish to a separate tank.solve a crisis· Congress had not been able to solve the financial crisis.solve a dispute/conflict· They have agreed to solve their disputes solely by peaceful means.solve a dilemma· Can you solve my dilemma?solve somebody's difficulties· You can't solve your difficulties by running away.solve a question· Did they really think the Jerusalem question would be solved in a week?COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2nounssolve a crime/case· The crime was never solved.solve a murder· Police have called for witnesses to help them solve the murder.solve a mystery· Staff at the library think they have solved the mystery.solve a puzzle· You progress through the game by solving puzzles.solve a riddle· They still haven't really solved the riddle of how the pyramids were built.solve an equation· At the age of six, he could solve complicated mathematical equations.