1
as in to crack
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
a convoluted thriller, the plot of which I was never able to actually decipher
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decipher
These will allow us to decipher the nature of these mergers, marking a new era for multimessenger astronomy.
—
Eleonora Troja, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Researchers using advanced imaging technology have deciphered 79 previously invisible inscriptions — including love notes, drawings of gladiators, and everyday messages — on a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii, offering a rare window into the lives of ordinary people nearly 2,000 years ago.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
Using this method, researchers deciphered 79 additional inscriptions that had eluded scholars for generations.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
No one had written them down, and the band had to listen to the few tapes that existed and try to decipher his words.
—Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Eleonora Troja, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Researchers using advanced imaging technology have deciphered 79 previously invisible inscriptions — including love notes, drawings of gladiators, and everyday messages — on a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii, offering a rare window into the lives of ordinary people nearly 2,000 years ago.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
Using this method, researchers deciphered 79 additional inscriptions that had eluded scholars for generations.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
No one had written them down, and the band had to listen to the few tapes that existed and try to decipher his words.
—Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decipher
Verb
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Modern encryption uses math equations that would take conventional computers trillions of years to crack.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Now cosmologists in the international Collaboration for Observations, Models and Predictions of Anomalies and Cosmic Topology (COMPACT) have pushed, and the tidy picture is cracking.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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New transparency tools aim to help travelers understand disruptions and reduce frustration during delays and cancellations.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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And to have a guy like him who understands what the competition looks like on the floor, but is still here to kind of enhance the environment, help celebrate his teammates, give his teammates wisdom.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But those tactical successes don't necessarily translate to achieving all the president's strategic aims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Elevated diesel prices could ultimately translate to grocery prices, given that the trucks that transport American goods run on the fuel.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The vote came during the second week of a marathon debate over a controversial elections bill known as the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and certain forms of photo ID to cast a ballot.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Seals and Crofts were native Texans who had known each other since high school and played together in various groups before becoming a duo, Seals & Crofts, in the late 1960s.—
Hillel Italie,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some Native American tribes refer to the April full moon as the breaking ice moon, the frog moon, the sucker moon and the budding moon of plants and shrubs.—
Hali Smith
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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How to break the car rental rage cycle Don't get mad.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The ability to read and comprehend is a foundational skill without which students are doomed to fail in mathematics and other subject matters.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The goal is to unlock the extreme sensitivity necessary to decode a cell’s full molecular makeup, ultimately accelerating drug development.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
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These signals are public, so anyone with a relatively cheap receiver and a little bit of know-how can decode the signals to display a plane’s locations digitally.—
Graham Rapier,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is entirely believable, in the sense that many people take years to recognize abuse.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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Directors and managers were told to recognize the warning signs and approach contentious situations with calm, deliberate engagement.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decipher. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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