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 rest of the women are in swimsuits … because Mel still can’t comprehend that women over 45 are hot. Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025 This loss is especially difficult to comprehend. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025 Largely touted as one of the best games ever made, Hades has inspired many imitators, many of which only superficially comprehend the special alchemy of design elements that makes the indie actioner so effective. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 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 See All Example Sentences for comprehend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehend
Verb
  • Trade patterns and alliances may shift but great companies understand the importance of rotating across geographies to develop talent for leadership roles.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Lyra’s quest to understand Dust brings her into confrontation with human and other worldly forces who champion moral absolutism over imagination, ignorance over knowledge, authoritarianism over free will and cold, disinterested rationality over empathy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Returning for a record-breaking 23rd season on SNL, Kenan Thompson is not currently known to be dating anyone.
    Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Tiki-Ti — Los Angeles, California Arguably one of the best dive bars in the Golden State, the 20-seat Tiki-Ti was founded in 1961 by Filipino immigrant Ray Buhen and is known for its intimate atmosphere, classic rum cocktails and kitschy decor.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Dæmons seem to be an outward manifestation of the complex nature of humans that encompasses, male, female and animalistic characteristics that hint towards the breaking of gender binaries and the possibilities of interspecies relations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The network encompasses the nonprofits Indivisible Project and Indivisible Civics, which organize protests and trainings, and Indivisible Action, a separate political action committee aiming to elect progressive candidates.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The audience is put into her shoes, only able to decipher what is going on by listening to the men banging around the house trying to kill her.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
  • No, Lindsey did not decipher a few revealing tarot cards or see the future inside a crystal ball.
    Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That includes Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headset, which has struggled to attract developers and resonate with buyers, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Admirers can switch between nine lighting modes, including warm white and multicolor hues, as well as flickering and flashing light shows.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The father, Fyodor Karamazov, is a grasping, lecherous, deceitful, and shameless widower.
    Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Too often, these nations assume such threats are bluffs or exaggerations because their own logic struggles to grasp that someone would be so blatant.
    Big Think, Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which can alter the pH balance of urine.
    MD Published, Verywell Health, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The popcorn may contain undeclared peanuts, posing a serious risk of allergic reactions.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Through the tear gas and dust, his family recognized Retes’ car and the veteran decal on his window.
    Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The awards ceremony is a first-of-its-kind international gala recognizing excellence across the space industry.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehend. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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