1
as in to crack
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
a convoluted thriller, the plot of which I was never able to actually decipher
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Recent Examples of decipher
Players will have to decipher a puzzle with clues from another player.
—
Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.
—David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
Before diners are even seated, a quirky focal point is bound to elicit oohs and aahs, and many, many wandering eyes trying to decipher the meaning.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
The clicks are part of a growing sperm whale phonetic alphabet that researchers at CETI are deciphering.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.
—David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
Before diners are even seated, a quirky focal point is bound to elicit oohs and aahs, and many, many wandering eyes trying to decipher the meaning.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decipher
Verb
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But as the ball swung around the perimeter, opportunities arose for the likes of Dosunmu and McDaniels to crack the paint off the bounce.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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The physicality ramped up early in the second period when the B’s fourth line flexed their muscle and cracked Lyon.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brown doesn’t need social media to understand the opportunity at his fingertips.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the 1950s, Walt Disney understood that Disneyland was the necessary lifeline that allowed the Walt Disney Studios to survive the arrival of television.—
Roland Betancourt,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nearly all the instructions were relayed electronically from the director’s cave and translated by a bilingual assistant director.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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His tough blocking is his strongest attribute, and his background as a walk-on linebacker at Wisconsin should translate well to special teams.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Terms of the offer were not immediately known.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Saphier is primarily known for her clinical work and for her role as a contributor to Fox News and Fox Business.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film broke records for the best box office performance for a biopic in North America in its opening weekend and made $314 million worldwide in its first weekend in theaters.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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For travelers looking to break a sweat, there is a gym with two Pelotons, a handful of treadmills, and weights—plus a small outdoor space for yoga.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Soviet officials initially remained in denial; unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation and desperate to contain the bad publicity.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
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Antoinette McGarrahan, a clinical psychologist, appears to have concluded that severe mental disease or defect caused Omondi not to comprehend that his conduct was wrong.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The achievement kicked off an age of discovery in genetics, with researchers racing to decode the genomes of other pathogens—and eventually animals.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
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Encoding/Decoding Model Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model is one of the most influential theories explaining how audiences understand news.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Federally recognized, the Monacans remain among the few American sovereign tribes still occupying land in their ancestral homeland.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Long before European arrival, Indigenous peoples across what is now the United States recognized the plant by its distinctive aroma and incorporated it into systems of medicine.—
Kari Traylor,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decipher. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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