phrasal-verbs
Are the following examples all acceptable? If so, do they mean the same thing? Any nuances related to aspects?
I've got to think of a way to earn more money.
I've got to figure out a way to earn more money.
I've got to work out a way to earn more money.
Both "rip off" and "rip out" can mean "to remove". However, there's a connotation of:
Examples:
Side-note: rip off also have a completely different informal meaning: to cheat/steal. ("I paid $20 for this crap t-shirt? What a rip off!" or "The intro of 'Ice Ice Baby' is the same as Queen's 'Under Pressure,' they totally ripped off Queen.")
As has been mentioned in the comments, although you have gathered together quite a few definitions and examples of usage, a common thread runs through them all in terms of what 'figure out' means.
In a broad sense of the word, to figure out something means to understand something clearly, however, what differentiates it from similar expressions such as to realise something or to find out something is the process involved in coming to that conclusion.
When we realise something or find out something, we are able to comprehend something that we couldn't comprehend before, but that may not have been our intention. Realisations can often happen by chance - something may spark a connection, and you then see it in a new light.
For example:
I just realised that there's an arrow hidden between the E and the x in the 'FedEx' logo!
Similarly with 'finding out something' - we may have come by the information passively.
I just found out that my girlfriend was cheating on me.
Figuring something out, on the other hand, implies a conscious effort to study a matter or situation and actively search for the answer or understanding of it. Rather than by chance or happenstance, it is normally done with a specific goal in mind.
- We need to figure out what went wrong.
- It took them ages to figure out how to assemble the chest of drawers.
- When you've figured the answer out, put your hand up.
- They spent 20 minutes figuring out how to open the box.
There is a broad range of examples above, but all of these exhibit intent to come to a conclusion.
Best Answer
The meanings are very similar. The only difference, to my mind, involves the effort involved.
You can think of something out of the clear blue sky, without even trying. If you figure something out, you have set yourself a problem, or been set a problem, and solved it; this implies more effort. To work something out also implies an effort, and probably a more prolonged one; you can figure something out quickly, but it usually takes time to work something out.
For most practical purposes, though, they can be used interchangeably.