Have you ever searched all over for something and then suddenly found it? People talk about moments like this using special expressions called idioms. Idioms are phrases that don’t always mean exactly what the words say. They can make language more fun and easier to understand. For example, if someone says, “I found it by accident,” they might use an idiom to explain how surprising it felt.
In this article, we will look at idioms people use when they find something. These phrases help tell stories in a simple but interesting way. Some idioms show surprise. Others show how hard someone was looking. Learning these expressions can help you speak and understand English better, especially when talking about discovery or finding things. Let’s explore 33 idioms that describe what it’s like to find something.
Idioms About Finding Something
1. Find by accident
Meaning: To find something without looking for it
Example Sentence:
• I found a dollar on the sidewalk by accident.
• She found her old toy in the closet by accident.
Other ways to say: Stumble upon, come across
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom shows how people sometimes discover things while doing something else.
Usage: Used when someone wasn’t planning to find something.
2. A lucky find
Meaning: Something found that brings good luck or joy
Example Sentence:
• That rare card in the cereal box was a lucky find.
• I got a lucky find at the garage sale.
Other ways to say: Lucky catch, great discovery
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from when people feel excited about finding something rare.
Usage: Used when someone finds something special without expecting it.
3. Dig up
Meaning: To search and find something that was hidden
Example Sentence:
• We dug up some old pictures from the attic.
• He dug up facts about his family history.
Other ways to say: Unearth, uncover
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from digging in the ground to find hidden objects.
Usage: Used when people search hard and discover something.
4. Come across
Meaning: To find something by chance
Example Sentence:
• I came across my lost bracelet under the bed.
• She came across a new book at the library.
Other ways to say: Run into, find unexpectedly
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is like bumping into something while walking.
Usage: Used when someone finds something by surprise.
5. Unearth
Meaning: To discover something that was buried or hidden
Example Sentence:
• The kids unearthed an old coin in the backyard.
• We unearthed a lost storybook in grandma’s house.
Other ways to say: Dig up, uncover
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from archaeology, when people dig in the earth to find things.
Usage: Used when something hidden is found again.
6. Hit the jackpot
Meaning: To find or get something very valuable
Example Sentence:
• I hit the jackpot when I found my missing homework.
• She hit the jackpot with those free concert tickets.
Other ways to say: Score big, get lucky
Fun Fact/Origin: From gambling, where winning means hitting the biggest prize.
Usage: Used when someone finds something really exciting or helpful.
7. Strike gold
Meaning: To find something valuable or important
Example Sentence:
• We struck gold with that new pizza place!
• They struck gold while cleaning out the garage.
Other ways to say: Find something great, make a great discovery
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from finding real gold during mining.
Usage: Used when people are excited about finding something good.
8. Light upon
Meaning: To suddenly see or find something
Example Sentence:
• I lit upon an old letter from my friend.
• She lit upon a colorful rock by the river.
Other ways to say: Discover, stumble on
Fun Fact/Origin: “Light upon” means to land or stop on something, like a bird.
Usage: Used for soft or gentle discovery moments.
9. Fish out
Meaning: To pull something out from a messy or full place
Example Sentence:
• He fished out a crayon from under the couch.
• She fished out the paper from her messy desk.
Other ways to say: Pull out, take out
Fun Fact/Origin: Think of fishing—pulling something hidden from water.
Usage: Used when something is found in a crowded or hidden place.
10. Happen upon
Meaning: To discover something by chance
Example Sentence:
• We happened upon a quiet park during our walk.
• She happened upon an old photo album.
Other ways to say: Come across, stumble upon
Fun Fact/Origin: “Happen” shows it wasn’t planned.
Usage: Used when you discover something nice or surprising.
11. Turn up
Meaning: To be found after being lost
Example Sentence:
• My keys finally turned up in my backpack.
• Her phone turned up under the couch.
Other ways to say: Appear, be found
Fun Fact/Origin: “Turn up” means something shows again.
Usage: Used when something missing is found.
12. Track down
Meaning: To find something by searching for it
Example Sentence:
• I tracked down my lost book at school.
• She tracked down the missing puzzle piece.
Other ways to say: Search for, hunt
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from tracking animals by their footprints.
Usage: Used when someone works hard to find something.
13. Root out
Meaning: To find and remove something hidden
Example Sentence:
• He rooted out the moldy sandwich in his locker.
• She rooted out all the old papers in the drawer.
Other ways to say: Get rid of, discover and remove
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from pulling weeds up by the roots.
Usage: Used when cleaning or looking deeply for something.
14. Discover by chance
Meaning: To find something when you weren’t trying to
Example Sentence:
• We discovered a cool hiking trail by chance.
• He discovered his old diary by chance.
Other ways to say: Find randomly, happen upon
Fun Fact/Origin: A simple way to explain luck in finding something.
Usage: Used when someone is surprised to find something.
15. Run across
Meaning: To find or meet something or someone unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
• I ran across my old baseball cards while cleaning.
• She ran across a cute puppy at the park.
Other ways to say: Come across, bump into
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase comes from the idea of running into something while moving.
Usage: Used when something is found during another activity.
16. Come upon
Meaning: To suddenly find something
Example Sentence:
• We came upon a quiet pond in the woods.
• He came upon an old game in the closet.
Other ways to say: Stumble on, run into
Fun Fact/Origin: It means something surprising or sudden is found.
Usage: Used for surprising discoveries.
17. Chance upon
Meaning: To find something unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
• I chanced upon a sale at the store.
• They chanced upon a hidden beach.
Other ways to say: Discover by luck, find by chance
Fun Fact/Origin: The word “chance” shows it wasn’t planned.
Usage: Used for lucky or fun discoveries.
18. Stumble across
Meaning: To find something by accident
Example Sentence:
• She stumbled across a fun book at the library.
• I stumbled across my missing sock in the drawer.
Other ways to say: Find without looking, come across
Fun Fact/Origin: Like tripping, this idiom shows you weren’t expecting it.
Usage: Used when finding something during another task.
19. Dig into
Meaning: To look deeply to find something
Example Sentence:
• I had to dig into my backpack to find my notebook.
• She dug into the bin to find the toy she wanted.
Other ways to say: Search through, reach in
Fun Fact/Origin: It’s like using a shovel to find something inside.
Usage: Used when looking inside something.
20. Ferret out
Meaning: To find something hidden
Example Sentence:
• He ferreted out the missing puzzle piece.
• The teacher ferreted out who was passing notes.
Other ways to say: Track down, search out
Fun Fact/Origin: Ferrets were once used to hunt hidden animals.
Usage: Used when someone works hard to find the truth or hidden things.
21. Come to light
Meaning: To be found or discovered
Example Sentence:
• The missing book came to light during spring cleaning.
• New facts came to light during the science project.
Other ways to say: Discovered, revealed
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from something being hidden in the dark then seen in the light.
Usage: Used when something is discovered after being hidden.
22. Turn out
Meaning: To be found or discovered as something
Example Sentence:
• It turned out the phone was in her pocket all along.
• The noise turned out to be just the wind.
Other ways to say: Be revealed, end up being
Fun Fact/Origin: It means something changes from unknown to known.
Usage: Used when realizing what something really is.
23. Sniff out
Meaning: To find something by sensing or searching
Example Sentence:
• The dog sniffed out the treat in the bag.
• She sniffed out the best deals at the store.
Other ways to say: Detect, figure out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how animals use their noses to find things.
Usage: Used when someone finds something by being sharp or clever.
24. Land on
Meaning: To find or choose something after looking
Example Sentence:
• We landed on that restaurant for dinner.
• He landed on the blue shirt to wear today.
Other ways to say: Decide on, choose
Fun Fact/Origin: Like landing on a spot after flying or searching.
Usage: Used when someone finds the right choice.
25. Uncover
Meaning: To find something hidden
Example Sentence:
• We uncovered a secret passage in the game.
• The archaeologists uncovered old bones.
Other ways to say: Reveal, dig up
Fun Fact/Origin: Like taking off a cover to show what’s beneath.
Usage: Used when someone finds something unknown.
26. Zero in on
Meaning: To find and focus on something
Example Sentence:
• He zeroed in on the missing piece.
• The cat zeroed in on the toy mouse.
Other ways to say: Focus on, spot
Fun Fact/Origin: From using a scope or aim to find something.
Usage: Used when someone finds something by concentrating.
27. Come back to
Meaning: To find an idea or item you forgot
Example Sentence:
• The answer came back to me during the test.
• Her love for painting came back to her over the summer.
Other ways to say: Remember, return to
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a lost memory or habit that returns
Usage: Used when you rediscover something.
28. Spot
Meaning: To see or notice something
Example Sentence:
• I spotted a rainbow in the sky.
• She spotted her friend in the crowd.
Other ways to say: Notice, see
Fun Fact/Origin: It means finding something with your eyes.
Usage: Used for quick or lucky visual discoveries.
29. Lay eyes on
Meaning: To see something for the first time
Example Sentence:
• That was the first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon.
• She laid eyes on the new puppy and smiled.
Other ways to say: See, look at
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom means your eyes touch or meet the thing.
Usage: Used when you finally see something.
30. Dig something out
Meaning: To find and bring something back
Example Sentence:
• He dug out his old baseball glove from the closet.
• She dug out the winter clothes.
Other ways to say: Retrieve, bring back
Fun Fact/Origin: Like uncovering something in a pile.
Usage: Used when someone finds something stored or hidden.
31. Track something back
Meaning: To follow clues to find the start
Example Sentence:
• We tracked the noise back to the TV.
• She tracked her package back to the warehouse.
Other ways to say: Follow the trail, trace
Fun Fact/Origin: Like detectives solving a mystery
Usage: Used when you find where something started.
32. Pinpoint
Meaning: To find something exactly
Example Sentence:
• The map helped us pinpoint the treasure.
• Doctors pinpointed the cause of his headache.
Other ways to say: Locate exactly, find clearly
Fun Fact/Origin: A pin on a map shows an exact spot.
Usage: Used when you find something very specifically.
33. Reveal itself
Meaning: To become clear or known
Example Sentence:
• The answer revealed itself after more thinking.
• The path revealed itself as the fog cleared.
Other ways to say: Appear, become clear
Fun Fact/Origin: Like something hidden slowly showing up.
Usage: Used when something becomes visible or understood.
Quiz: Idioms About Finding Something
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “come across” mean?
A) To lose something on purpose
B) To find something unexpectedly
C) To give something to a friend
2. If someone “digs up” an old toy, what did they do?
A) Threw it away
B) Found it by searching
C) Gave it to someone
3. What does it mean to “hit the jackpot”?
A) Lose something valuable
B) Find something that’s broken
C) Discover something really great
4. When something “turns up,” what happens?
A) It becomes lost
B) It is found again
C) It is thrown away
5. If you “stumble across” a book, what does it mean?
A) You dropped the book
B) You were looking for it
C) You found it without meaning to
6. What does “fish out” mean?
A) To go fishing at the lake
B) To pull something from a messy place
C) To throw something into a bin
7. What does “sniff out” mean?
A) To smell a bad odor
B) To carefully eat something
C) To find something by being clever
8. If you “come upon” something, what did you do?
A) Buy it from a store
B) Break it on accident
C) Find it unexpectedly
9. What does it mean to “ferret out” a missing item?
A) To hide it well
B) To find it by looking carefully
C) To clean up your room
10. If you “pinpoint” something, what does it mean?
A) Guess where it is
B) Find the exact place or thing
C) Lose track of it
11. What does it mean to “land on” a choice?
A) To fall off a bike
B) To choose something after thinking
C) To land a plane
12. What does it mean if something “reveals itself”?
A) It becomes easy to see
B) It hides better
C) It moves away from you
Answer Key
- B) To find something unexpectedly
- B) Found it by searching
- C) Discover something really great
- B) It is found again
- C) You found it without meaning to
- B) To pull something from a messy place
- C) To find something by being clever
- C) Find it unexpectedly
- B) To find it by looking carefully
- B) Find the exact place or thing
- B) To choose something after thinking
- A) It becomes easy to see
Wrapping Up
Finding something can be exciting, surprising, or even funny. People use idioms to describe these moments in interesting ways. These phrases make it easier to explain how we feel when we come across something special or unexpected. From “hitting the jackpot” to “stumbling upon” lost items, these idioms help us tell our stories better.
Learning these idioms can help you talk and write more clearly. Next time you find something cool or surprising, try using one of these expressions. It might make your story more fun to share.
