as in decoding
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1
as in cracking
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in understanding
to have a clear idea of
a convoluted thriller, the plot of which I was never able to actually decipher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deciphering
Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Binary neutron stars have long been considered the best bet for deciphering what lurks within.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Mar. 2026
When your speech is clear and reliable, no fog, no spin, no quiet evasions, people stop wasting energy deciphering you and start collaborating with you.
—Adam Dietz, Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026
Pitch tipping — the art of deciphering what might be coming based on small tells a pitcher might have — is a legal and common practice.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
The study creates new criteria for deciphering old dice and allows archaeologists to further explore how games have evolved over time, researchers say.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Binary neutron stars have long been considered the best bet for deciphering what lurks within.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Mar. 2026
When your speech is clear and reliable, no fog, no spin, no quiet evasions, people stop wasting energy deciphering you and start collaborating with you.
—Adam Dietz, Big Think, 24 Feb. 2026
Pitch tipping — the art of deciphering what might be coming based on small tells a pitcher might have — is a legal and common practice.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deciphering
Noun
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For time-sensitive medical conditions, faster decoding of genetic information can directly inform urgent treatment decisions and, in some cases, be lifesaving.—
Gary Skuse,
The Conversation,
28 Apr. 2026
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And tasks like editing and exporting HEVC videos in Adobe Premiere Pro become slower, since all the decoding and encoding must be handled by software instead of the PC’s hardware.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday, April 28 Health inspectors cited the Rancho Cordova Thai restaurant after finding the cook cracking an egg on the prep line and continuing to prep food without proper handwashing and glove replacement.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
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Chara thought nothing of cracking Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Brad Marchand in the back with a cross-check during net-front sessions.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The lack of physical evidence presents significant challenges for the field of paleontology in understanding species diversification at specific times and places on Earth.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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In practice, this looks like a provider not only asking about symptoms, but understanding context.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Noun
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How family history plays a part in language and translation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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The translation of the part of the caption written in Korean also indicated that there has been a lot of interest in the new store, along with demands to know exactly when the store would be opening.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cala de Mar's chef leads market tours here , translating vendor banter and explaining why the woman selling squash blossoms at dawn has better quality than the one at noon.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
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Ahead of the exhibition’s opening, Malani spoke with ARTnews about working with architecture, translating drawing into animation, and why the role of the artist is not to provide answers, but to pose questions.—
Eana Kim,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Watching the trajectory of the baseball and knowing Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill’s ability to rob would-be homers — plus the uncertainty of how well balls fly during night games at Petco Park — Crow-Armstrong figured Merrill would come down with the baseball.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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And there’s judgment — knowing when to act, when to wait, and what action actually fits the situation.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The passengers include the requisite obnoxious jerk, Dan (Angus Sampson), already throwing his weight around and breaking no-smoking rules at LAX.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 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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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
Cite this Entry
“Deciphering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deciphering. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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