Synonym Chooser

How is the word comprehend distinct from other similar verbs?

The words appreciate and understand are common synonyms of comprehend. While all three words mean "to have a clear or complete idea of," comprehend may stress the process of coming to grips with something intellectually.

I have trouble comprehending your reasons for doing this

When is it sensible to use appreciate instead of comprehend?

While the synonyms appreciate and comprehend are close in meaning, appreciate implies a just evaluation or judgment of a thing's value or nature.

failed to appreciate the risks involved

How are the words understand and comprehend related?

Both understand and comprehend are very often interchangeable, with understand sometimes stressing the fact of having attained a firm mental grasp of something.

orders that were fully understood and promptly obeyed

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of comprehend Miller later said the same enemies can’t comprehend their strength, determination and passion. Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025 And that fire burns with a righteous fury that our enemies cannot comprehend or understand. Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025 One recent paper introduced General-Bench, a benchmark that uses five input modalities—text, images, video, audio, 3D—to test AI systems on hundreds of tasks that demand recognition, reasoning, creativity, ethical judgment, and other abilities to both comprehend and generate material. Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025 According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 230,000 Coloradans have difficulty comprehending and communicating in English. Micki Olson, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for comprehend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehend
Verb
  • Here, settler colonialism is understood as a form of environmental injustice, where pollution and degraded landscapes diminish Indigenous quality of life and ability to be in right relationship with the environment.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
  • First, understand what the ruling means.
    Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Both knew each other from their work for 100 Black Men of America, where Gatlin had been an executive before joining the Foundation.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Deborah McGregor, an Anishinaabe scholar from Whitefish River First Nation, defines and discusses the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), sometimes also known as Indigenous Ecological Knowledge or Indigenous Ecological Wisdom.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 14-day order took effect Thursday and applies to all DHS agents, including those with ICE and US Customs and Border Protection, in the district which encompasses Chicago and the Broadview ICE processing facility.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
  • My reporting has encompassed a little bit of everything, from rising municipal budgets to tight local elections to overturned affordable housing developments.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.
    Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Its strong first-week performance suggests there is, in fact, an audience hoping to decipher the mind of Ye all of these years later.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This decadent dish included Maltina beef, braised greens, and party jollof.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Modeled after the proportions of an adult male hand, the DG-5F supports various grip patterns such as pinch, power, and precision grips, enabling it to handle a wide range of tasks, from delicate manipulation to firm grasping.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
  • This time was his time and with Gordon off the pitch, Woltemade grasped it and clung to it.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • McSweeney’s elevation appeared bizarre, but Bailey and his selection team have openly stated their belief that the Test team should contain the best six batters regardless of position.
    Sam Dalling, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • But much like Week 1 against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, the Chiefs’ inability to contain the opposing quarterback in timely spots lost them the football game.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Liam McNeeley was listed as one of the steals of the draft based on where he was selected, and Josh Longstaff was recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in the league.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Abraham Lincoln had signed more than two years earlier.
    Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehend. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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