Meaning & use
finds
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“finds” is a form of “find”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
discovers or locates someone or something, often after searching
Grammar: Takes an object: She finds her keys. In the present tense with he, she, or it, use finds: He finds the answer.
Patterns
- find something
- find someone
- find something in/at/on something
She always finds her glasses in the same spot on the desk.
The team finds new ways to solve old problems every year.
He finds his keys under the sofa almost every morning.
verbtransitive
discovers or learns something by chance or experience
Grammar: Often followed by a clause or that: I find (that) the book is useful.
Patterns
- find that ...
- find out that ...
- find something difficult/easy
She finds that the new software saves her hours of work.
He finds the instructions easy to follow.
They find out the truth later.
verbtransitive
discovers someone or something to be in a particular state or condition
Grammar: Followed by an adjective or noun: I find the room cold. It can also take a past participle: I found the door locked.
Patterns
- find someone/something adjective
- find someone/something noun
- find someone/something + past participle
I find the movie boring.
She finds the task challenging but rewarding.
We found the children asleep on the sofa.
nouncountable
a discovery, especially something valuable or interesting that someone has found
Grammar: Countable noun; plural is finds. Often used in archaeology or everyday contexts: a lucky find.
Patterns
- a great/good/lucky find
- an important find
- archaeological finds
The vase turned out to be a valuable find.
Archaeologists announced their latest finds at the site.
That second-hand table was a real find.
Word forms
| third person singular | finds |
|---|---|
| past tense | found |
| past participle | found |
| -ing form | finding |
| plural | finds |
Common combinations
- find a way
- We need to find a way to finish on time.
- find out
- She found out the truth by accident.
- find it difficult
- Many students find it difficult to concentrate.
- a lucky find
- That coin was a lucky find in the garden.
- find the time
- I can never find the time to read.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discover
- More formal; often used for finding something new or unexpected, like a scientist discovering a new species.
- locate
- More technical; means to find the exact position of something, not just to come across it.
- come across
- Informal; means to meet or find by chance, not by searching.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: finds or fined? finds or finds?
finds vs fined
Sounds the same but means 'ordered to pay money as a punishment'.
finds vs finds
This is the third-person singular present of 'find'; don't confuse it with the plural noun 'finds'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Finds' is present tense, so it goes with 'every morning'. The other options mix present tense with past time expressions like 'yesterday' or 'ago', which is incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “finds”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.