Phrasal verb
figure on
Definition
phrasal verb. to plan for something or expect it to happen.
phrasal verb. to include something in one's plans or to anticipate a specific outcome; often used when calculating or predicting future events.
Examples
“I didn't figure on the traffic being so bad today.”
“When we planned the budget, we didn't figure on the price of petrol rising so quickly.”
“The developers had to figure on a significant delay once the environmental impact study revealed protected species on the site.”
Examples
simple
“I didn't figure on the traffic being so bad today.”
contextual
“When we planned the budget, we didn't figure on the price of petrol rising so quickly.”
complex
“The developers had to figure on a significant delay once the environmental impact study revealed protected species on the site.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
Teaching tip
note that this is more common in American English; contrast it with 'count on' (rely on) or 'plan for'.
Pitfall
We figured on to arrive at six.
We figured on arriving at six.
the particle 'on' must be followed by a gerund (-ing) rather than an infinitive.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
figure + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/figure-on