verb

found out

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Found out (verb) means past tense and past participle of find out: learned or discovered something previously unknown. Example: “I only found out about the wedding from a friend.”

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."

"We had found out too late that the deadline was Friday."

Past tense and past participle of find out in the sense of being caught in a lie or wrongdoing.

"He was found out within a week of forging the invoice."

"She lived in fear of being found out."

How to Use Found out

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLearned something you did not know, or got caught.

When to use it

Neutral. In the being-caught sense it is nearly always passive: someone is found out.

Memory tip

Do not confuse this with found meaning established. "She founded the charity" and "she found out about the charity" are different verbs entirely.

Easily confused with

find out → found → figured out

Common pairings

found out about found out that just found out was found out

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I only _____ about the wedding from a friend.

Synonyms

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discovered learned realised uncovered caught out exposed unmasked rumbled

Related Words

found covered learned revealed achieved academic exposed acquired

Rhymes for found out

out tout bout gout lout pout rout about trout spout clout grout

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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".

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found covered learned revealed achieved academic exposed acquired