1
as in knows
to have a clear idea of
do you apprehend the importance of this discovery?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrests
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 apprehends
Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.
—Jason Rantala, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Suppose the number is read in one case out of a hundred, and that the information reaches someone who apprehends the culprit in one case out of one thousand.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.
—Jason Rantala, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Suppose the number is read in one case out of a hundred, and that the information reaches someone who apprehends the culprit in one case out of one thousand.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehends
Verb
-
Holmes knows the difference between a hundred and forty types of tobacco ash.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
No one ever quite knows how an event will be interrupted, a notion that was proved bizarrely at last week’s World Snooker Championships when an audience member halted proceedings to protest about the BBC licence fee.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Peace returns when everyone understands what is being shared.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The director understands immediately.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hometown Heroes recognizes and supports the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States.—
Anne Brensley,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Richie, an audiophile, immediately recognizes the artist and sparks up a conversation.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In an oppositional reading of a media text, the audience comprehends that the message conflicts with or contradicts their personal experiences of society.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
-
In the end, A Guardian and a Thief is a story that comprehends hunger more deeply than the world that produces it.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Fans start to notice what's happening about five seconds into it, and then another man comes up behind the fan, grabs him and tackles him into the seats.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
And if no candidate grabs a majority in either of those races, this district’s voters might have to go to the polls four times.—
East Bay Times editorial board,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apprehends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehends. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
