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
The generous release of Tahoe 100M is a potential turning point for deciphering cancer vulnerabilities at scale and can trigger an open-source data sharing momentum in cancer research.
—Amelia Palermo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys are one of those teams deciphering between the talents in the final stack of players, as owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that this is the latest that the team has ever gone without having their board in place.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2025
The obvious way to adapt the short story would have been to make a linear experience — something easier to decipher and straightforward to play through — but that's not what The Dreamers Guild did.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
In deciphering where to turn for the franchise’s next chief business revenue officer and targeting one individual in particular, the decision became clearer with each phone call.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Amelia Palermo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys are one of those teams deciphering between the talents in the final stack of players, as owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that this is the latest that the team has ever gone without having their board in place.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2025
The obvious way to adapt the short story would have been to make a linear experience — something easier to decipher and straightforward to play through — but that's not what The Dreamers Guild did.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
In deciphering where to turn for the franchise’s next chief business revenue officer and targeting one individual in particular, the decision became clearer with each phone call.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 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 29 Apr. 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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