1. solve, or understand someone/something
Professional
Social
figure out the problem
To 'figure out' something means to have a realisation or to solve or finally understand something. This is a casual phrase used often in everyday speech. If you say to someone 'I will figure it out' it means you intend to understand by yourself how to do something or how it works. If you 'can't figure something out' it means you can't understand it. This can be used in various situations from talking about 'figuring out' match homework or trying to 'figure out' why the person you are attracted to hasn't asked you on a date yet.