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

Example 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 Certain people still cannot comprehend this move, but the Mavericks feel good about their current position. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025 Players from a now bygone era couldn’t comprehend the notion of being nice to an opponent before kick off. Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025 Computer scientists often deal with abstract problems that are hard to comprehend, but an exciting new algorithm matters to anyone who owns books and at least one shelf. Steve Nadis, WIRED, 16 Feb. 2025 Her humor and acuity become an instinctual armor against a world that seldom recognizes, let alone comprehends, what she’s been through. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for comprehend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comprehend
Verb
  • The real stories of the game and its people from someone who lives it and understands it better than any member of the media who has never played the game ever could.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Addressing play aggression requires understanding the behavior and consistently implementing appropriate techniques to ensure a happy and balanced home environment.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • What feels new is the expectation, on the part of both makers and audiences, that there is such a thing as knowing definitively what a work of art means or stands for, aesthetically and politically.
    Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
  • By 1988, the group, known for its new jack swing style, released its debut album, Who?.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Sales topped $35 million as the business grew to encompass a line of soups as well as a Keto-friendly line that’s high in protein.
    Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • There’s something about the porthole windows that make this houseboat—which encompasses a dining space, lounge, kitchen, a pair of bedrooms, and two bathrooms—tenfold cozier.
    Dan Q. Dao, Architectural Digest, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • 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, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, also climbed to 50.4 from 50.2 in January.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Starmer outlined a plan to support Ukraine, including continuing the flow of aid to Ukraine and keeping up economic pressure on Russia.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Human marketers can empathize with audiences, grasping their pain points and aspirations to create messages that evoke trust, joy, or urgency.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Clearly, that's a reality which Moscow and Beijing have already grasped.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Most drugstore shampoos contain harsh ingredients that dry out the scalp.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The formula also contains polyhydroxy acid, a cousin to AHAs that offer light exfoliating perks.
    Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The country’s prime minister, though, said Ukraine still wants security guarantees to be part of any peace deal and won’t recognize Russian occupation of any Ukrainian land.
    SAMYA KULLAB, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Here’s one basic reality the recent laws don’t recognize: If density increases in burn footprints, the number of prospective victims in the inevitable future fires there will also increase.
    Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comprehend. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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