ENCIPHER Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

encipher

verb

Definition of encipher

as in to cipher

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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 encipher To protect sensitive communications traveling along public pathways, the senders enciphered—or encrypted—their words, often using machines that could replace each letter with a new letter. — Liza Mundy, Time, 10 Oct. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encipher

Verb

The real challenge from AI will likely emerge in the weeks and months ahead as firms cipher through Judge Mehta’s enforcement of behavioral requirements.

— Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center).

— STEPHEN NASH, New York Times, 25 July 2017

Definition of cipher

Verb

The group is known for infiltrating companies by exploiting software vulnerabilities or server misconfigurations to breach IT networks and then spreading ransomware to encrypt computers.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026
To encrypt messages with RSA, someone just needs to know one of these numbers, which, like RSA-260, have only two prime factors; decryption requires knowing both specific primes.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of encrypt

Verb

The four chemical units that make up strands of DNA also encode information that can serve as the basis of algorithmic calculations.

— Mike McRae September 22, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026
Because of the high likelihood of corruption, our devices encode messages with enough redundancy that they can be pieced together by the receiving machine despite the errors incurred in transit.

— Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of encode

Browse Nearby Words

enchiladas

encipher

enciphered

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“Encipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encipher. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of encipher

verb

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