apprehending

verb

present participle of apprehend
1
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of do you apprehend the importance of this discovery?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arresting
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the agency charged with apprehending criminals who have violated federal law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 apprehending Only instead of just peacefully apprehending opponents, Doncic’s super-competitive alter ego wants to smash them all under an array of increasingly rude step-back jumpers. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 The film cuts between Murray cautiously opening the suspicious package and FBI agents apprehending Kaczynski decades later. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026 One deputy suffered minor injuries while apprehending Cody Frank, while another was treated for possible fentanyl exposure after taking one of the suspects to jail, authorities said. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 She’s tasked with apprehending The Puppet Master (Iemasa Kayumi), a hacker who appears to be tapping directly into these networked minds and altering memories. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026 The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service and New Mexico State Police assisted in apprehending Jones, Hann said. — Caroline Zimmerman may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026 This arc is advancing slower than a glacier on Hoth, and Mando apprehending a couple of mid-level Imps on the big screen doesn't really fill the gap. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 25 May 2026 In the video shared exclusively with Fox News by ICE, officers are seen apprehending and arresting the Honduran national. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Danamarie McNicholl, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026 The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 compelled authorities in northern free states to assist in apprehending and returning those who escaped back to slavery. — Jeremy Mennis, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehending
  1. knowing
  2. arresting
  3. understanding
  4. seizing
  5. recognizing
  6. detaining
  7. deciphering
  8. comprehending
Verb
  • A week ago, the Chiefs were in Seattle, who signed cornerback Terrion Arnold in August, knowing Arnold is still facing eight first-degree felony chargers, including three counts of kidnapping, which could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
  • When the three networks divided up the Big Ten’s TV games last spring, Byczek said NBC also zeroed in on that game, as well as USC’s matchups with Ohio State and Penn State, knowing both would fit well featured in prime time.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of knowing
Verb
  • Spotting symptoms early is a key factor in treating victims and in arresting the spread of this extremely contagious disease, according to health experts.
    — Michelle A. Williams, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Sacramento police have also received criticism for arresting protesters in recent months, including the detainment two protesters in September that was recorded on video.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of arresting
Verb
  • During that period and beyond, Hawthorne kept a series of notebooks, which scholars see as an important primary source for understanding the ideas and descriptions that informed his early writings and later novels.
    — Robert S. Levine, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The science writer Ann Finkbender wrote a charming essay about understanding this principle of life in Last Word on Nothing.
    — Shayla Love, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of understanding
Verb
  • Banks in New York are seizing the opportunity to offer a solution that could shield Chinese customers from their country's tax man.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Even rarer is a series seizing on the opportunity to make a quantum leap several years into its run.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • After recognizing the need for sturdier work pants, Strauss partnered with tailor Jacob Davis to develop a design that used copper rivets on denim and duck canvas pants, laying the foundation for the modern blue jean.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Adebayo’s coaches and teammates celebrated the moment after Wednesday’s win in Atlanta by recognizing his accomplishment in their State Farm Arena locker room before dousing him with water.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of recognizing
Verb
  • As bystanders rushed to her aid, a local barber pulled the driver from the car, detaining him until police arrived.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Mamdani released a statement Wednesday criticizing the Israeli government for detaining Lander and the other activists, some of whom are new Yorkers, according to the mayor.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of detaining
Verb
  • Bahdanau was working with artificial neural networks, which had already shown promise in pattern-recognition tasks such as deciphering handwriting and identifying objects in photos.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of deciphering
Verb
  • Infinite Jasons • MacNamara is so far from comprehending the box that his Jason looked utterly bored by his questions.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Understanding that this is policy is crucial for comprehending how Israeli soldiers are expected to dutifully erase entire villages without questioning orders.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of comprehending

Browse Nearby Words

apprehended
apprehending
apprehends
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apprehending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehending. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All