decipher
verb
de·ci·pher
dē-ˈsī-fər 
deciphered; deciphering; deciphers
1
: decode sense 1a
decipher a secret message
2
obsolete
: depict
with her majesty's name deciphered in gold letters—
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift3
a
: to make out the meaning of despite indistinctness or obscurity
trying to decipher her handwriting
b
: to interpret the meaning of
decipher the poem
Examples of decipher in a Sentence
I couldn't decipher his sloppy handwriting.
we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet
Recent Examples on the Web
With less handholding, Cat Quest III aligns more closely with the tenets of a true Zelda-like experience, with quests providing more ambiguous clues or directions that need to be deciphered to figure out where to go next.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024
Vague and Contradictory Most of Project 2025’s proposals for CISA are difficult to decipher and reflect what experts say is a misunderstanding of the agency’s activities.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 5 Aug. 2024
But in lockstep, there are codebreakers and equally ingenious means to decipher the hidden information.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
They’re also asked to decipher a nation that makes less and less sense.
—Jerry Brewer, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for decipher 
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024
Vague and Contradictory Most of Project 2025’s proposals for CISA are difficult to decipher and reflect what experts say is a misunderstanding of the agency’s activities.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 5 Aug. 2024
But in lockstep, there are codebreakers and equally ingenious means to decipher the hidden information.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
They’re also asked to decipher a nation that makes less and less sense.
—Jerry Brewer, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for decipher
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decipher.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decipher
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decipher
verb
de·ci·pher
di-ˈsī-fər
1
: to convert into understandable form
especially
: decode
2
: to make out the meaning of despite lack of clearness
decipher sloppy handwriting
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