Synonym Chooser

How is the word comprehend distinct from other similar verbs?

The words appreciate and understand are common synonyms of comprehend. While all three words mean "to have a clear or complete idea of," comprehend may stress the process of coming to grips with something intellectually.

I have trouble comprehending your reasons for doing this

When is it sensible to use appreciate instead of comprehend?

While the synonyms appreciate and comprehend are close in meaning, appreciate implies a just evaluation or judgment of a thing's value or nature.

failed to appreciate the risks involved

How are the words understand and comprehend related?

Both understand and comprehend are very often interchangeable, with understand sometimes stressing the fact of having attained a firm mental grasp of something.

orders that were fully understood and promptly obeyed

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of comprehend Throughout the eight episodes, Muncie doesn’t quite comprehend how bad his situation actually is. Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Dec. 2024 But Argentina, one of the world’s richest countries about 100 years ago, has inflation problems that few other places can comprehend. thehustle.co, 22 Nov. 2024 But the two defendants were able to depend on something that the prosecutors did not fully comprehend: the ability of Willy and Sal to manipulate a sense of loyalty within South Florida’s Cuban exile community. T.j. English, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024 Oceans of Waste The scale of humanity's plastic use and plastic waste is hard to comprehend. Jeff Young, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for comprehend 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehend
Verb
  • Testing can help officials understand which farms and cows are infected, and how the virus is moving between them, said Matthew Moore, an assistant professor in the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
    Dani Blum, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Further clinical trials are needed to better understand and assess the potential mechanisms at work.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Eagles know their offense can’t devolve into a frustrating mess for a second straight season.
    Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Keselowski's entry into RFK Racing in 2021 marked a turning point for the team, formerly known as Roush Fenway Racing.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Instead of encircling Taiwan, Chinese naval ships appear aiming to assert control within the first island chain – a strategic chain of islands encompassing Japan, Taiwan, parts of the Philippines and Indonesia, the official added.
    Wayne Chang, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The dot-com bubble encompassed hundreds of startups and the stocks of many larger companies.
    John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Daboll’s fourth-down decisions were typically hard to decipher.
    Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Paul has come to think of this period as the beginning of her decades-long attempt to decipher life as it is lived, not as it is schematized by contemporary philosophy.
    Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Peacock Peacock is home to all things NBC, including Saturday Night’s Main Event.
    Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Tech companies and leaders, including Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have also been appealing to the President-elect with $1 million donations to his inauguration fund.
    Jay Peters, The Verge, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Much more data is needed to fully grasp the scope of their movements and ecological importance.
    Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Everyone remains just isolated enough to stay well clear of grasping any fundamental truths about the silo.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Hint #2: The answer contains two vowels, one of which functions as a consonant in a different word structure.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
  • At times, the Bucks struggled to contain Young (35 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) as the Hawks point guard regularly got to the free-throw line.
    Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Consider these tips: Acknowledge Diverse Celebrations and recognize team members who celebrate several holidays during this time.
    Teresa Hopke, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • But Krasne did man the prosthetic paws shown digging in the transition scene, and in the movie’s trailer, when Adams’s character slips and pratfalls across kitchen tiles, Krasne recognized her own work.
    Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near comprehend

Cite this Entry

“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehend. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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