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
Kelly was upbeat, having deciphered the plot numbers.
—Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The differing accounts have sent the internet into a speculation frenzy — with many sharing their unconfirmed theories online in an attempt to decipher what happened.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2024
Neuralink’s device and rival products are designed to read brain activity to decipher what movement a person intends to make, then run a command to execute that action.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The team is also launching a program called Atlas of Smoke, which will use algorithmic imagery to decipher how the peat levels in the whisky respond to aging.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
This decryption key, securely stored on the recipient’s device, is the only key capable of deciphering the message, translating the encrypted text back into readable format.
—Robin Chataut, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
The works are meant to be experienced in the abstract instead of deciphered literally.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
The family friend mentioned that the woman had a difficult time deciphering the message, and even went to the internet to seek clarification.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Why 'New' Emotions Emerge in the Teen Years When children are younger, their emotions are often more on display or easier to decipher by their actions.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024
Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The differing accounts have sent the internet into a speculation frenzy — with many sharing their unconfirmed theories online in an attempt to decipher what happened.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2024
Neuralink’s device and rival products are designed to read brain activity to decipher what movement a person intends to make, then run a command to execute that action.
—Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The team is also launching a program called Atlas of Smoke, which will use algorithmic imagery to decipher how the peat levels in the whisky respond to aging.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
This decryption key, securely stored on the recipient’s device, is the only key capable of deciphering the message, translating the encrypted text back into readable format.
—Robin Chataut, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024
The works are meant to be experienced in the abstract instead of deciphered literally.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
The family friend mentioned that the woman had a difficult time deciphering the message, and even went to the internet to seek clarification.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Why 'New' Emotions Emerge in the Teen Years When children are younger, their emotions are often more on display or easier to decipher by their actions.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024
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 18 Apr. 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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