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
As a preface, the conclusion here, deciphered from the scene by this author, was a plea for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 16 May 2026
By slow degrees, Philip’s story shifts to accommodate the incontrovertible evidence of IP addresses and deciphered cryptography and Lucy struggles to keep up, let alone understand.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Currently, judges in California courts are responsible for deciphering the nuances of California’s Invasion of Privacy law.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 16 May 2026
By slow degrees, Philip’s story shifts to accommodate the incontrovertible evidence of IP addresses and deciphered cryptography and Lucy struggles to keep up, let alone understand.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Currently, judges in California courts are responsible for deciphering the nuances of California’s Invasion of Privacy law.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 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 20 May. 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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