Synonyms of understands

understands

verb

present tense third-person singular of understand

1

as in derives

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information

as I understand it, this is the best plan that we have

Synonyms & Similar Words

• derives
• decides
• thinks
• concludes
• infers
• assumes
• deduces
• extrapolates
• reasons
• judges
• speculates
• guesses
• supposes
• ascertains
• reads
• gathers
• makes out
• interprets
• draws a conclusion
• contemplates
• surmises
• construes
• rationalizes
• philosophizes
• conjectures
• finds out
• dopes (out)

2

as in knows

to have a practical understanding of

I think I understand how an engine works now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knows
• comprehends
• grasps
• appreciates
• possesses
• perceives
• apprehends
• follows
• cognizes
• has
• kens
• savvies
• fathoms
• catches on (to)
• picks up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misunderstands
• misinterprets
• misconceives
• misapprehends
• misperceives
• misknows

3

as in recognizes

to have a clear idea of

after a few weeks in Russia I began to understand the language a little bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knows
• recognizes
• comprehends
• appreciates
• sees
• deciphers
• grasps
• realizes
• perceives
• discerns
• gets
• conceives
• senses
• intuits
• apprehends
• makes
• beholds
• assimilates
• decodes
• cognizes
• seizes
• registers
• tumbles (to)
• digs
• groks
• makes out
• catches on (to)
• catches
• twigs
• absorbs
• picks up on
• savvies
• cottons (to or on to)
• compasses
• digests
• penetrates
• takes in
• pierces
• fathoms

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misses
• misunderstands
• misinterprets
• mistakes
• misreads
• misconstrues
• misconceives
• misapprehends
• misperceives

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of understands

The former head of Google China, who has also held senior executive roles at Microsoft and Apple, understands intimately how Silicon Valley leaders think. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Sacramento State’s team, to a man, understands who and what is invading Hornet Stadium on Saturday night on ESPN, a thundering herd of buffalo rooted in tradition in the form of the North Dakota State Bison. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026

State prosecutors told the court that although the attorney general understands the defendant's grief, the case must proceed as a matter of public interest. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Successful implementation depends on high-quality data, integration with existing manufacturing systems, cross-functional collaboration and a workforce that understands how to use AI effectively. — Nishkam Batta, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

New York already understands the importance of making its cultural life more accessible, and Mayor Mamdani’s recent TDF initiative to give free tickets to high schoolers offers one model. — Brian Beirne, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

On Friday, Hassett said that the administration understands the pressure that rising energy prices puts on consumers. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026

Senior kicker Nate McCashland understands what the Goggins family is going through, with his younger brother having leukemia at a young age, and talked about how inspiring Heston is. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026

Deadline understands that the season was filmed before the incident in December, and there are reportedly no plans to remove Gallagher from the episodes. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026