interpreting

verb

present participle of interpret
1
as in explaining
to make plain or understandable a biblical passage that scholars haven't been able to interpret to everyone's satisfaction

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playing
to present a portrayal or performance of interpreted the role of Fletcher Christian in a challengingly new way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 interpreting Behavioral questions are only as useful as the person interpreting them. — Kenzie Biggins, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The discrepancy comes from Jenna interpreting the rule as one partner can’t lift the other in specific dance styles, but that’s not what happened here. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 The challenge is how and where to find high-quality research studies to derive interval likelihood ratios when electronic health records display only binary cutoffs as aids to interpreting test result values. — Amiran Baduashvili, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Provincial governments, adept at interpreting and carrying out the central leadership’s priorities, have responded rapidly. — Scott Singer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026 To be sure, interpreting bid-ask spreads can get murky when analyzing far out-of-the-money trades with low open interest and volume. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 One strategy when interpreting poll results is to imagine what the outcome would be if Democrats or Republicans were overestimated by three percentage points. — Scott Clement, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 Cautious enthusiasm for radio signal detection Scientists who were not involved with the new research urged caution when interpreting the findings. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Some members of the public have been upset, Powers said, interpreting the changes as a dramatic cut, when many of the changes amounted to a department reorganization. — Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interpreting
  1. explaining
  2. playing
  3. clarifying
  4. performing
  5. illustrating
  6. portraying
  7. demonstrating
  8. depicting
Verb
  • The old boy was perfectly reasonable, explaining the difference between federal reimbursement and state reimbursement, and the speed that agencies move on the different levels.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As this is a Lynch film, explaining the rest of the plot would be a pointless exercise, but expect plentiful violence, stylish surrealism, and a road movie that’ll shock and delight in equal measure.
    — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo totaled 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from the foul line, two rebounds, one assist and one steal while playing only 11 minutes in Saturday’s first half.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The practice involves writing down your intrusive thoughts and fears, and even recording yourself talking about them, and playing that recording back to yourself.
    — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Before meeting with a patient advocate, identify your main objectives – for example, preparing for a transition home, clarifying a treatment plan or understanding medication changes.
    — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In November 2025, South Korea proposed talks on clarifying the borderline, but North Korea didn’t respond.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of clarifying
Verb
  • The share of Asian American students, who were clustered in more affluent, high-performing schools, subsequently fell.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Open-weight models would generally be exempt, but Beijing could still restrict transfers involving exceptionally large or top-performing models, potentially limiting overseas acquisitions or the movement of key personnel and intellectual property.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of performing
Verb
  • Over time, the company has aggregated a combination of destinations, tournaments, leagues and camps, illustrating how physical facilities can anchor a broader participation business rather than function simply as real-estate assets.
    — Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Its report points to independent software maintenance as a way for IT leaders to regain control over software budgets, illustrating its potential bias.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrating
Verb
  • The younger Bolsonaro has denied climate change while portraying himself as an environmental defender, without detailing plans to protect the Amazon or support forest financing.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, there are AI safety researchers who fear that portraying such incidents as easily remedied security failures gives political cover to those who want AI development to proceed unchecked.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of portraying
Verb
  • In May 2024, The War Zone examined Chinese state television video showing soldiers taking cover from first-person-view (FPV) drones, using a net-catching projectile, and demonstrating a handheld jammer.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of demonstrating
Verb
  • Sacramento police have arrested two Sacramento men in connection with the theft of the bronze sculpture depicting Ben Ali, California’s first Kentucky Derby winner, in Old North Sacramento.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The camera lingers on the building’s triangular windows and towering bronze sculpture depicting hands passing a Torah from one generation to the next.
    — Yael Buechler, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of depicting

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interpreters
interpreting
interpretive
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Cite this Entry

“Interpreting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interpreting. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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