decipher
verb
de·ci·pher
dē-ˈsī-fər 
deciphered; deciphering; deciphers
1
: decode sense 1a
decipher a secret message
2
obsolete
: depict
with her majesty's name deciphered in gold letters—
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift3
a
: to make out the meaning of despite indistinctness or obscurity
trying to decipher her handwriting
b
: to interpret the meaning of
decipher the poem
Examples of decipher in a Sentence
I couldn't decipher his sloppy handwriting.
we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet
Recent Examples on the Web
In other words, there was too much atmospheric static to decipher information using classical techniques.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 21 June 2025
Mortgage professionals have mastered the art of deciphering hidden meanings, changing fears into wisdom and confusion into action.
—Neil Anders, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Some TikTok creators posted videos of themselves sobbing after hearing the news of Trigg’s death, while others zoomed into photos of Kiser’s house in an attempt to decipher safety regulations and cast blame.
—Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
His success inspired Hyland to believe that deciphering narrative, nonnumerical khipus might be possible.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 21 June 2025
Mortgage professionals have mastered the art of deciphering hidden meanings, changing fears into wisdom and confusion into action.
—Neil Anders, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Some TikTok creators posted videos of themselves sobbing after hearing the news of Trigg’s death, while others zoomed into photos of Kiser’s house in an attempt to decipher safety regulations and cast blame.
—Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
His success inspired Hyland to believe that deciphering narrative, nonnumerical khipus might be possible.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decipher
verb
de·ci·pher
di-ˈsī-fər
1
: to convert into understandable form
especially
: decode
2
: to make out the meaning of despite lack of clearness
decipher sloppy handwriting
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