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
-
Nobody knows how often adverse events occur, said Kristen Nixon, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who has studied posts about weight loss drugs on Reddit, a popular online forum.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
She’s made a career out of being a normal person who knows a lot about technology but never gets carried away by sci-fi fantasies.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McCarthy understands that dynamic.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The industry understands people have different needs, and is working to make travel feel more personal and human.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
-
While Linda seizes, Bradley makes a break for it on a makeshift raft.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Being self-Aware – recognizes how personal behavior impacts others and stays mindful of one’s own motives, values, and reactions.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The three-day CrimeCon, held this year at Caesars Palace, recognizes true crime content in TV, film, podcasts and publishing.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
31 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
-
Kennedy then pins the snake’s head and grabs it by the mouth, avoiding any potential venomous bites.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Davis grabs two suitcases off the belt, pulls out a handheld computer that looks like an extra-rugged iPad, and scans the bar codes on the luggage tags.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apprehends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehends. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
