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

Luiz understands that aspect, too, acknowledging that Sporting KC needed him four separate times during Thursday’s news conference. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Churches, neighborhoods, nonprofits, businesses, utilities and government should periodically engage in preparedness exercises so everyone understands their role. — Freida Graves, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Gen Z already understands the downside of social media in ways that Millennials did not. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Mackelprang is an avid hiker who frequently journeys alone, PEOPLE understands. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

India understands that Washington has its own economic and political reasons to stabilize relations with Beijing. — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Williams understands the setup of the play and where his answers should ideally be against this coverage. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Walter is the Dodgers’ controlling owner and has the largest stake, Sportico understands. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Specialization can help set your brokerage business apart from others because clients often want an advisor who understands the details of a particular property type. — James Nelson, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026