fixed; fixing; fixes
1
a
: to make firm, stable, or stationary
We led out more rope and fixed it in place up steeper snow.—
Joe Tasker & Peter Boardman
Joe Tasker & Peter Boardman
b
: to give a permanent or final form to: such as
(1)
: to change into a stable compound or available form
bacteria that fix nitrogen
(2)
: to kill, harden, and preserve for microscopic study
(3)
: to make the image of (a photographic film) permanent by removing unused salts
2
a
: to hold or direct steadily
fixes his eyes on the horizon
b
: to capture the attention of
fixed her with a stare
3
4
: to set in order : adjust
fixed his spectacles and read aloud—George Meredith
George Meredith5
: to get ready : prepare
fix lunch
6
7
a
: to get even with
They thought they could cheat me, but I fixed them good.
b
: to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods
the race had been fixed
1
: to become firm, stable, or fixed
2
: to get set : be on the verge
we're fixing to leave soon
1
: a position of difficulty or embarrassment : predicament
2
a
: the position (as of a ship) determined by bearings, observations, or radio
also
: a determination of one's position
b
: an accurate determination or understanding especially by observation or analysis
3
: an act or instance of improper or illegal fixing
the fix was in
4
: a supply or dose of something strongly desired or craved
a coffee fix
especially
: a shot of a narcotic
5
: fixation
6
: something that fixes or restores : solution
an easy fix
Synonyms
Examples of fix in a Sentence
Verb
He fixed the fence last weekend.
I need to fix this dent in my car.
People expect the schools to fix whatever is wrong with their kids.
All tables on the ship will be fixed to the floor.
The table was fixed firmly to the floor.
The scarf was fixed in place with a pin.
They haven't yet fixed the date of their wedding.
They fixed the price at $10.
Investigators are still attempting to fix the exact time of the accident.
Noun
There's no easy fix to this problem.
The result was unexpected, and some people suspect a fix.
Recent Examples on the WebDana Hull, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2024
His new National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, shook up workplace norms by aggressively seeking court orders to immediately fix things that were considered unfair labor practices.
—USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
But whereas most of a line’s expenses are fixed, there’s always more room to increase revenue with more passengers, who are bound to spend more on the ship.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
The report said what doesn’t work is fixing the person first and adding more shelter beds.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Fowler thinks scientists could fix all that, breeding new varieties of the grass pea that yield more, without the toxin.
—Dan Charles, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
Related: Congress ditches site-neutral hospital pay policy Presidents Obama and Trump both tried to fix this problem by including site-neutral payment policy in their budget proposals.
—Alex Azar and Kathleen G. Sebelius, STAT, 18 Apr. 2024
Today, his job is fixing China’s $17.52 trillion economy within the strict ideological balustrades set by Xi.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
No one person or institution can fix issues of systemic poverty that drive people to drop out of college, Franczyk said.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Boeing withdrew the request following her letter to the FAA and pledged not to seek certification of either airliner until a fix was developed.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
There are easy-to-follow instructions online for most homeowners to do the fixes themselves, but always feel free to call a professional if plumbing is outside your comfort zone.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
Engineers determined most of the columns had minor cracking that could be fixed in months, although the structures near Skytrain’s Station 1, outside American’s Admirals Club frequent-flyer lounge, require lengthier fixes.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Customer support teams need to be able to share fixes across their customer base in a way that doesn't unintentionally divulge private or proprietary information.
—Lou Senko, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Then, the nature of the security fixes in the update, discussed here by fellow Forbes contributor Kate O’Flaherty, came later than usual.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Some 65 members of Congress from both parties have come together to propose a common-sense fix.
—Howard Dean, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Though the teams involved in the great World Series fix of 1919 were from Chicago and Cincinnati, the scheme was, in essence, a local game, too, rooted in New York gangsterism—in particular, in Arnold Rothstein’s gambling empire.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
And on Friday, the company recalled almost 3,900 Cybertruck pickups to fix or replace accelerator pedals that can dislodge and cause the vehicle to unintentionally accelerate, increasing risk of a crash.
—Dana Hull, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2024
His new National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, shook up workplace norms by aggressively seeking court orders to immediately fix things that were considered unfair labor practices.
—USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
But whereas most of a line’s expenses are fixed, there’s always more room to increase revenue with more passengers, who are bound to spend more on the ship.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
The report said what doesn’t work is fixing the person first and adding more shelter beds.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Fowler thinks scientists could fix all that, breeding new varieties of the grass pea that yield more, without the toxin.
—Dan Charles, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
Related: Congress ditches site-neutral hospital pay policy Presidents Obama and Trump both tried to fix this problem by including site-neutral payment policy in their budget proposals.
—Alex Azar and Kathleen G. Sebelius, STAT, 18 Apr. 2024
Today, his job is fixing China’s $17.52 trillion economy within the strict ideological balustrades set by Xi.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
No one person or institution can fix issues of systemic poverty that drive people to drop out of college, Franczyk said.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Noun
So, while the Panthers need another top-notch wide receiver, the depth of the draft class implies that cornerback should be a more urgent fix.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Boeing withdrew the request following her letter to the FAA and pledged not to seek certification of either airliner until a fix was developed.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
There are easy-to-follow instructions online for most homeowners to do the fixes themselves, but always feel free to call a professional if plumbing is outside your comfort zone.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
Engineers determined most of the columns had minor cracking that could be fixed in months, although the structures near Skytrain’s Station 1, outside American’s Admirals Club frequent-flyer lounge, require lengthier fixes.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Customer support teams need to be able to share fixes across their customer base in a way that doesn't unintentionally divulge private or proprietary information.
—Lou Senko, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Then, the nature of the security fixes in the update, discussed here by fellow Forbes contributor Kate O’Flaherty, came later than usual.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Some 65 members of Congress from both parties have come together to propose a common-sense fix.
—Howard Dean, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Though the teams involved in the great World Series fix of 1919 were from Chicago and Cincinnati, the scheme was, in essence, a local game, too, rooted in New York gangsterism—in particular, in Arnold Rothstein’s gambling empire.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fix.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fix
Cite this Entry
“Fix.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fix. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fix
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to make firm, stable, or fast
b
: to give a permanent or final form to
c
: to change into a stable or useful form
bacteria that fix nitrogen
2
: to hold or direct steadily
fixed his eyes on the stage
3
: to set or place definitely : establish
fix the date of a meeting
4
: to get ready : prepare
fix dinner
6
a
: to get even with
b
: to influence the outcome of (as a sports contest) dishonestly
7
: to get set : be on the verge
we're fixing to go
fix
2 of 2 noun1
: a position of difficulty or embarrassment : predicament
2
: the position (as of a ship) decided upon by calculations and compass, observations, or radio
also
: a deciding upon of one's position
3
a
: an act of bribery or fraud
b
: a sports contest whose outcome has been arranged in advance
4
: a dose of something strongly desired or craved
a chocolate fix
especially
: a shot of a narcotic
Medical Definition
fix
1 of 2 transitive verb1
a
: to make firm, stable, or stationary
b
: to give a permanent or final form to: as
(1)
: to change into a stable compound or available form
bacteria that fix nitrogen
(2)
: to kill, harden, and preserve for microscopic study
2
: to hold or direct steadily
fixes her eyes on the horizon
3
b
fix
2 of 2 noun
: a shot of a narcotic
Legal Definition
fix
transitive verb1
a
: to make firm, stable, or stationary
b
: to attach physically
2
: to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods
conspiracy to defraud the government by fixing income tax cases—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
fix
noun
fixer
noun
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