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
Scientists had long thought that deciphering those qualities — collectively known as prosody — happened in the superior temporal gyrus, an area of the brain associated with speech perception.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
His annual press conference, to be held later in the week, will be closely watched to decipher China’s stance on U.S.-China relations under Trump.
—TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
The ending of 'Shutter Island' left fans to decipher whether or not its leading character chose his own fate
Comments
More than a decade after the release of the 2010 psychological thriller Shutter Island, its ending remains a mystery to many.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers have revealed some of the text inside a 2,000-year-old scroll that was charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E.
Scholars are now hard at work deciphering the previously unreadable words.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
His annual press conference, to be held later in the week, will be closely watched to decipher China’s stance on U.S.-China relations under Trump.
—TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
The ending of 'Shutter Island' left fans to decipher whether or not its leading character chose his own fate
Comments
More than a decade after the release of the 2010 psychological thriller Shutter Island, its ending remains a mystery to many.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers have revealed some of the text inside a 2,000-year-old scroll that was charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E.
Scholars are now hard at work deciphering the previously unreadable words.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher. Accessed 12 Mar. 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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