suss

American  

[suhs] / sʌs /

verb (used with object)

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

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suss British  

/ sʌs /

verb

1. (often foll by out) to attempt to work out (a situation, person's character, etc), esp using one's intuition

2. Also: sus.  to become aware of; suspect (esp in the phrase suss it )

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noun

1. sharpness of mind; social astuteness

Etymology

Origin of suss

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

Example Sentences

But one of California’s leading political savants, Paul Mitchell, has developed a helpful online tool to suss out the possibilities.

From Los Angeles Times

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

German supplier to semiconductor manufacturers Suss Microtec falls 3%, while software group SAP slips 2.4% in Frankfurt.

From The Wall Street Journal

German supplier to semiconductor manufacturers Suss Microtec was down 3%, while software group SAP slipped 2.4% in Frankfurt.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Slate