comprehending

verb

present participle of comprehend
1
as in understanding
to have a clear idea of the age at which children can comprehend the difference between right and wrong

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knowing
to have a practical understanding of it took me a while to comprehend algebra

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in including
to have as part of a whole our notion of morality should comprehend much more than proper sexual behavior

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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 comprehending 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 By utilizing three classes of agents, Microsoft is effectively comprehending the entire threat lifecycle. — Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Without comprehending what was happening, Kikuko looked up at the sagging skin of her father’s throat. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color. — Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026 As for whether comprehending the wiring of the brain really demands techniques from the frontiers of theoretical physics, questions remain. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2026 And only by comprehending the Star Eaters will Ro also comprehend his part in their potential destruction. — Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026 And then just comprehending the infrastructure required, again, just for the eggs, let alone all the other things required. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025 Heavener said her young students have a hard time comprehending what is going on. — Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehending
  1. understanding
  2. knowing
  3. including
  4. deciphering
  5. involving
  6. recognizing
  7. encompassing
  8. grasping
Verb
  • Gathering relevant data is a vital first step to understanding everything from the value of underground mineral deposits to the money held in pension funds.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The incentive structures that power the mathematical community are not set up for a world where solving problems is easy and understanding their answers remains hard.
    — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of understanding
Verb
  • Brady, meanwhile, knowing that Carter has the ability to defect tribes, wants a new ally.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The pathway to that knowing is to enter the story and imagine the unsaid.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of knowing
Verb
  • Related Stories To uncover the truth, Emma has no choice but to return to the Breton island of Kerlann, where tragedy struck and where everyone rejects her — including her son, who sees her as his father’s murderer.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The spa is set to open in mid-December and promises to have a range of treatments including massages, facials, and hot/cold therapy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of including
Verb
  • Come early to mingle with the cast, in character, of course, who may or may not need your help in deciphering some puzzles.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For these scrolls, the best method for virtually unrolling and deciphering text would be to scan for lead first, according to Seiler.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of deciphering
Verb
  • The court denied that request and a second filing involving the drugs without comment.
    — JAMIE STENGLE, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Four charges involving a child younger than 13 were dropped on the first day of Saunders’ three-week trial.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of involving
Verb
  • From Billy Graham to Little Richard The Bakkers had a talent for recognizing cultural trends and tailoring their message accordingly.
    — John Wigger, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For the occasion, the Loewe Foundation will stage a major exhibition recognizing a decade of the Craft Prize, which also will open on the inaugural day of design week and run through April 28.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of recognizing
Verb
  • Crane’s suite sat empty for most of Wednesday afternoon’s 7-4, season-ending loss in the American League wild-card round, leaving his employees to speculate how encompassing the transformation may be.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • From 2021 through 2027, approximately $35 million in investment is planned across the community, encompassing the Club, golf course, infrastructure, amenities and other improvements.
    — Trident Ventures Content Studio, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of encompassing
Verb
  • Its combination of independent joint control, precise positioning, relatively low weight, and high grasping force is intended to help humanoid robots perform manipulation tasks that require greater dexterity and control.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Three months after his brother’s murder, Leroy still has a hard time grasping his family’s new reality.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of grasping

Browse Nearby Words

comprehendible
comprehending
comprehends
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Cite this Entry

“Comprehending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehending. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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