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
So, the thinking went, every costume, prop, and line reading is there for a reason, infinite symbolism scattered across the frame for anyone determined enough to decipher it.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Reading groups have sprung up in math departments across the world to decipher the groundbreaking result and relieve the tension.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
The record's aluminum cover contains a cartridge and a needle and has instructive diagrams that show how to play the record and decipher its information.
—George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Reading groups have sprung up in math departments across the world to decipher the groundbreaking result and relieve the tension.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
The record's aluminum cover contains a cartridge and a needle and has instructive diagrams that show how to play the record and decipher its information.
—George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 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 23 Dec. 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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