Synonym Chooser

How is the word understand distinct from other similar verbs?

The words appreciate and comprehend are common synonyms of understand. While all three words mean "to have a clear or complete idea of," understand and comprehend are very often interchangeable, with understand sometimes stressing the fact of having attained a firm mental grasp of something.

orders that were fully understood and promptly obeyed

When is it sensible to use appreciate instead of understand?

The synonyms appreciate and understand are sometimes interchangeable, but appreciate implies a just evaluation or judgment of a thing's value or nature.

failed to appreciate the risks involved

Where would comprehend be a reasonable alternative to understand?

Although the words comprehend and understand have much in common, comprehend may stress the process of coming to grips with something intellectually.

I have trouble comprehending your reasons for doing this

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 understand Many local leaders have learned the value of using data to understand where socially vulnerable residents face high disaster risks. Ivis García, The Conversation, 30 May 2025 The Times spoke to both sides, as well as multiple experts to better understand the high-stakes litigation, which faces obstacles but could shake up California’s home insurance industry. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025 For a long time, a very evolved, smart person that makes poor choices sometimes can still understand what that means. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 May 2025 The realtor also pulled permits to help determine a timeline of events to understand when some of the damage occurred. Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for understand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understand
Verb
  • This includes Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, an heiress to the L’Oreal fortune who is worth $86 billion, by far the largest fortune to derive from a pure beauty company.
    Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Naturally derived emulsifiers may not always be better.
    Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • They are also known as direct-to-participant trials or virtual studies.1 DCTs may offer several benefits, including convenience for participants.
    Carrie Madormo, Health, 31 May 2025
  • Forget iOS 19: Apple To Launch iPhone 17 With Radically Different Software, Report Says Software in the iPhone knows your location and is able to spot the satellites passing overhead to guide you where to point.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • So that we're all being recognized is what matters most.
    Dave Quinn, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • Gladly aims to deepen loyalty by delivering experiences where customers feel recognized.
    Joseph Ansanelli, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • In a thousand-year-old sport where a split second can decide everything, two months will probably feel like an eternity.
    Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • As mentioned above, there are myriad factors—international transportation bottlenecks, natural disasters and supplier insolvency, among others—that need to be considered simultaneously in real time to decide what’s best for the business.
    Sadagopan S, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • For a soldier, a letter holds a meaning that’s hard to comprehend for anyone who hasn’t worn the uniform.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 26 May 2025
  • Despite the fact that a majority of business leaders comprehend the concept of DevOps, most have difficulty framing its worth in anything other than technical terms.
    Sai Sandeep Ogety, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • As Guidry and Bowen try to decipher what led to Adam’s murder, viewers are taken on a ride.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 May 2025
  • As advocates on both sides of the police accountability debate decipher what Trump's about-face means for those communities, some are now focusing on what his administration might do next as allies seek to redefine the summer of 2020.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • The exuberant, if occasionally puzzling, show—think Barbie movie meets The Wizard of Oz—is directed with great flair by Broadway vet Jerry Mitchell, who is also nominated for best choreography.
    Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 1 June 2025
  • Designing and planning your garden requires thinking about when and what to grow.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Any advice would be greatly appreciated. — REMEMBERING IN CANADA DEAR REMEMBERING: Please accept my sympathy for the untimely loss of your granddaughter.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
  • The Swiss currency has appreciated 10% against the U.S. dollar since the beginning of the year – but inside Switzerland's borders, rising demand for the franc is stirring up challenges for policymakers.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Understand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understand. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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