suss out
Get the picture
To suss out is to figure out or investigate something, often through careful observation or inquiry: I'm trying to suss out what's really going on here.
British in origin but now common in American English.
You might suss out someone's intentions, suss out a problem, or suss out the best route.
The word suggests shrewd perception—working something out that isn't immediately obvious.
Become conscious of
- recognizePerceive as known
- identifyEstablish who or what
- noticeBecome aware of
- observePerceive with attention
pick up on · read · gauge · sense · determine · ascertain · make out · see through
Determine through reasoning
- work outExercise or solve
- uncoverReveal what's hidden
- detectNotice or discover
- probeThorough examination or tool
scrutinize · examine · analyze · delve · explore · question · inspect · vet
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- vibeIntuitive sense of mood
inkling · sense · feel out · read between the lines · intuit · sniff · smell a rat · nose around
perceive
Become conscious of
observe · pick up on · read · gauge · sense · determine · ascertain · make out · see through · catch on
figure out
Determine through reasoning
probe · scrutinize · examine · analyze · delve · explore · question · inspect · vet · check
hunch
Unproven inner sense
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
vibe · inkling · sense · feel out · read between the lines · intuit · sniff · smell a rat · nose around · get a read on
- catch oncatch on, figure out, realize, understand, cotton on
- investigatinginvestigate, examine, inspect, probe, search
- feeling outtest the waters, sound out, probe, feel out, gauge
- detectiondetect, discover, find, identify, locate
- pursuitchase, chasing, pursuit, chase down, pursue
- understandingunderstand, comprehend, grasp, fathom, follow
suss outassume
Accept as true
jump to conclusions · take at face value · stab in the dark · presume · wing it