suss

American

[suhs] / sʌs /

verb (used with object)

Chiefly British Slang. to investigate or figure out (usually followed byout ).

suss British

/ sʌs /

verb

(often foll by out) to attempt to work out (a situation, person's character, etc), esp using one's intuition
Also: sus. to become aware of; suspect (esp in the phrase suss it )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

sharpness of mind; social astuteness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of suss

First recorded in 1965–70; earlier, to suspect, a suspect, shortening of suspect

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Employment rose by 130,000 in January, but it’s a notoriously bad month to suss out the true state of the labor market.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

And so I think he was really trying to suss out, initially, how he could pull those different levers.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

Wiser and more practical than those around her, Maomao is able to play forensic detective, prevent assassination attempts, suss out political intrigue, resist an amorous eunuch and even ingest bits of poison safely.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

The ultimate impact of the fire is tough to suss out.

From Barron's • Oct. 7, 2025

He moved jaggedly back and forth, as if he were trying to suss out something.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023