ascertainverb [ T ]
uk/ˌæs.əˈteɪn/us/ˌæs.ɚˈteɪn/formalto discover something:
The police have so far been unable to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
[ + question word ] Have you ascertained whether she's coming or not?
to make certain of something:
[ + that ] I ascertained that no one could overhear us before I told Otto the news.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Finding and discovering
- a fishing expedition idiom
- alight
- break fresh/new ground idiom
- breakthrough
- catch sb red-handed idiom
- catch sb with their pants/trousers down idiom
- flush
- get wind of sth idiom
- happen
- happen on/upon sth/sb
- have a (good) nose for sth idiom
- have got something there idiom
- root sth/sb out
- run sb/sth to ground idiom
- scent
- search
- search sth/sb out
- smell
- sniff sth out
- stumble
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