solve

verb

ˈsälv How to pronounce solve (audio)
ˈsȯlv
solved; solving

transitive verb

1
: to find a solution, explanation, or answer for
solve a problem
solved the crime
2
: to pay in full
solve a debt

intransitive verb

: to solve something
substitute and solve for x
solver noun

Examples of solve in a Sentence

They are working to solve the traffic problem. If they'll lend us the money we need, all our problems will be solved. He couldn't solve the math problem. The mystery has been solved. The FBI has been trying to solve the case for years.
Recent Examples on the Web Juvenile inspector Rachel Zohar, a student at the high school at the time of the first murder, must revisit her trauma to solve the case. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 The company will have to successfully convert the design and performance characteristics to a much larger, heavier craft and develop its own engines, while solving the noise problem (initially, the Overture will fly at sub-sonic speeds over land) while meeting funding and regulatory demands. J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 The city of Milwaukee is about to spend $1.6 million to stabilize City Hall's facade − 10 years after city officials approved a $15.9 million legal settlement designed to solve the same problem. Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 But managing these hybrid employees has become a leadership problem that companies have yet to solve, according to a new survey from software company TechSmith and research firm Global Workplace Analytics. Trey Williams, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 So far, companion robots haven’t lived up to the hype—and might even exacerbate the problems they’re meant to solve. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 To solve this challenge, the MCBP has enlisted the help of Armand Neukermans—the inventor of the earliest inkjet printers, who worked at Hewlett-Packard and Xerox until his retirement. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 And people have been trying to solve this in all kinds of ways. Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2024 On June 8, 2021, police arrested Plympton and he was held at the Multnomah County Detention Center. Use of genetic genealogy Since the introduction of investigative genetic genealogy, police have used the technique to solve decades-old cases or identify suspects in high-profile criminal cases. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to loosen, from Latin solvere to loosen, solve, dissolve, from sed-, se- apart + luere to release — more at secede, lose

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of solve was circa 1533

Dictionary Entries Near solve

Cite this Entry

“Solve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solve. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solve

verb
ˈsälv How to pronounce solve (audio)
ˈsȯlv
solved; solving
: to find a solution for
solve a puzzle

More from Merriam-Webster on solve

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