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
How fans experience the game and how referees decipher controversial calls will only get better as visual AI advances.
—Jason Corso, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
But this can be tricky to decipher without a medical degree.
—Korin Miller, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Jason Corso, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Health care professionals are now caught between deciphering new legislation and their duty to provide quality care.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
As an avalanche and dead bodies ratchet up the suspense, Zach must lean on his mother’s wisdom to fight for his life while deciphering a confusing undercurrent of danger, violence and betrayal among the survivors.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
But this can be tricky to decipher without a medical degree.
—Korin Miller, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
Cite this Entry
“Decipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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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