Definition of comprehendnext

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 The Maracana descended into silence at full time, as the nation struggled to comprehend what had happened. Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026 For a franchise that has won four Super Bowls and, prior to the AFL-NFL merger, four NFL championships, that's just hard to comprehend. Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The title of President of the United States has belonged to only 46 people, who share the extremely unique and almost impossible to comprehend experience of running the country. Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Family office decisions often involve intricate emotions, relationships, and values that algorithms cannot comprehend. Andy Busser, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for comprehend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehend
Verb
  • These reports present your income and spending habits with clean, easy-to-understand visualizations.
    Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • Raised in Rio de Janeiro, Burle Marx understood the country’s abundance as both subject and material.
    Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • It is known to cause neurological problems, convulsions and comas, with children particularly at risk.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Martin, 36, best known for his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was selected in August as one of the top-50 players in franchise history as part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration.
    HANNAH FINGERHUT, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • His family tree branches over a region that now encompasses southern New Mexico, West Texas and Mexico.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • The $160 billion global functional drinks market has become an increasingly lucrative category, encompassing multipurpose drinks that claim to promise taste and enjoyment alongside wellness benefits, as consumers look for convenient ways to meet their health targets.
    Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • One of the most exciting uses of AI has to be helping historians and archaeologists decipher previously indecipherable or untranslatable ancient texts.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • As the inscription had been damaged, researchers couldn’t decipher whether this tablet had cursed four slaves or whether four slaves had cried out to the Egyptian gods and demi-heroes, who knows?
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Foreign rescue teams — including three from the United States — were racing against time in the aftermath of twin earthquakes that rocked Venezuela's northern coast as the death toll from the disaster increased, officials said.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • That includes the 2013 Supreme Court decision that allowed states and counties with a history of discriminatory voting rules to make changes without prior approval from the Department of Justice.
    Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Another fact these tax lovers don’t grasp is that predictions of the demise of Social Security are based on historically low rates of economic growth and productivity.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Matt Smaby, a North Dakota assistant and former NHL defenseman, said there are so many other variables in playing the position that take time to fully grasp.
    Joe Smith, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Firefighters, meanwhile, quickly contained the blaze to a 10-by-10-foot area.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
  • Each kit contains five breakfasts and five lunches.
    Joshua Cole, CBS News, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The city recognized Grant for his lasting legacy and positive impact on the community.
    CBS Chicago Team, CBS News, 26 June 2026
  • Sure, a lot of the mistakes or poor moments in defense can be waved away by recognizing that most of the team’s best defenders were sitting on the bench when the Turks wheeled away in delight with Ayhan’s goal.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehend. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

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