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
After analyzing his journal, Cordelia was able to decipher the diligent log Wynter kept of each criminal statute and ethical code that Lilly broke while working her role at the White House, which included stealing money and securing shady contracts.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
In 2023, the Vesuvius Challenge made its first award for deciphering the first letters, and last year, the project awarded the grand prize of $700,000 for producing the first readable text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
The machine learning aspect of this latest breakthrough focused primarily on detecting the presence of ink, not deciphering the characters or text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
In 2023, the Vesuvius Challenge made its first award for deciphering the first letters, and last year, the project awarded the grand prize of $700,000 for producing the first readable text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
The machine learning aspect of this latest breakthrough focused primarily on detecting the presence of ink, not deciphering the characters or text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 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 17 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share