found out
8 synonyms for found out, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — Past tense and past participle of find out: learned or discovered something previously unknown.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
Past tense and past participle of find out: learned or discovered something previously unknown.
“I only found out about the wedding from a friend.”
How to use found out
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
found out about
found out that
just found out
was found out
Neutral. In the being-caught sense it is nearly always passive: someone is found out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between found and found out?
Found is the past of find and takes an object you locate — "I found my phone". Found out is the past of the phrasal verb find out and takes information — "I found out where my phone was". Confusingly, found is also the present tense of a separate verb meaning to establish an institution.
What does it mean to be found out?
It means your deception, mistake or secret has been discovered by others. It carries a strong implication of guilt or embarrassment, which is why it is common in phrases like impostor syndrome discussions — "I'm terrified of being found out".
