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
Genomic sequencing, which deciphers the entire viral genome, is more ambitious.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Here's how China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean
The presence of lava introduces a significant challenge in deciphering the geological history of the Athabasca Valles system.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
In December 2023, Benda submitted paperwork to the NHTSA outlining how to decipher its VIN information, which is required by law for companies selling new vehicles in the US.
—New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2025
Fans have tried to decipher meaning from Justin and Selena’s random Instagram posts, crafting narratives about the two pining after each other, often based on little more than song lyrics and pictures.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decipher 
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Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Here's how China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean
The presence of lava introduces a significant challenge in deciphering the geological history of the Athabasca Valles system.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
In December 2023, Benda submitted paperwork to the NHTSA outlining how to decipher its VIN information, which is required by law for companies selling new vehicles in the US.
—New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2025
Fans have tried to decipher meaning from Justin and Selena’s random Instagram posts, crafting narratives about the two pining after each other, often based on little more than song lyrics and pictures.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decipher
Dictionary Entries Near decipher
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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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