Synonyms of decode

decode

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈkōd 

1

as in to decipher

to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language

the agents worked into the night to decode the intercepted message from the enemy spy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decipher
• decrypt
• break
• crack
• translate
• solve
• render
• unscramble
• unravel
• descramble
• figure out
• work
• work out
• puzzle (out)
• unriddle
• dope (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• encode
• code
• cipher
• encrypt
• encipher
• mix (up)
• garble
• jumble (up)

2

as in to understand

to have a clear idea of

I was never able to decode the strange relationship that existed between those two people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decipher
• understand
• know
• comprehend
• recognize
• see
• grasp
• appreciate
• discern
• get
• perceive
• realize
• conceive
• assimilate
• sense
• register
• apprehend
• make
• cotton (to or on to)
• dig
• seize
• tumble (to)
• intuit
• catch on (to)
• catch
• make out
• grok
• twig
• behold
• pick up on
• digest
• cognize
• compass
• savvy
• absorb
• fathom
• penetrate
• take in
• pierce

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• miss
• misunderstand
• misread
• misinterpret
• misconstrue
• mistake
• misconceive
• misperceive
• misapprehend

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of decode

This go-around, he’s decoded how to deliver that same overstimulated effect on a single LP. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 June 2025

While high-end IEMs provide the very best sound quality, they are limited by the tether of their cable and need an external DAC to decode the hi-res music source. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

After taking a photo of the ice and converting it to grayscale, the researchers trained a computer to decode the message by detecting the position and size of bubbles based on their grayscale value (regions without bubbles are dark gray, while bubbles are almost white). —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2025

Examining and decoding bird calls is becoming an increasingly popular field of study, as scientists like me are discovering that many birds – including mountain chickadees – follow systematic rules to share important information, stringing together syllables like words in a sentence. —Sofia Marie Haley, The Conversation, 27 May 2025