sussing out
Getting the picture
Sussing out is figuring something out through investigation or observation.
You suss out the truth behind a rumor, suss out someone's motives, or suss out how a system works.
The phrase implies detective work—piecing together clues rather than being told directly: It took me a while to suss out what was really going on.
British in origin, now common in American English.
- discoveringFinding what was hidden
- solvingFinding the answer
- getting to the bottom ofDetermining the root cause
- piecing togetherAssembling from fragments
- deducingConcluding from evidence
reveal · deciphering · inferring · reading between the lines · unraveling · probing · digging into · delving · diagnosing · interpreting · making sense of · discerning · scrutinizing · troubleshooting · exploring · detecting · evaluating · decoding
- searchingsearching, rummaging, digging, looking through, finding
- thinkingthinking, reasoning, thought, ponder, contemplate
- awarenessalertness, aware, attention, cognizance, conscious
sussing outwinging it
Proceeding without preparation
flying blind · jumping to conclusions · assuming · presuming · taking at face value
sussing outmisunderstanding
Failure to grasp meaning
missing the point · overlooking · drawing a blank · scratching one's head
sussing outconcealing
Keeping something secret
hiding · covering up · obscuring · burying · disguising
suss, sussed, sussing, suss out, sussed out, out, outed, outing, outs