as in to interpret
to make plain or understandable
the role of the justices of the Supreme Court in construing the constitution
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Recent Examples of construe
With anything that could be construed as bragging confined to his closing line, the competitive drive fueling Chalamet for the past month was all but erased.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Jan. 2026
Beyond the sideline body language, Cignetti’s particularly dry sense of humor in news conferences could be construed by some as dismissive.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The issue at hand is that people often construe exercise as being laborious, tedious, and just not especially appealing.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
As long as the money from cannabis sales could be construed under federal law as the proceeds of a crime, banks that do business with dispensaries must file scores of individual reports, alerting regulators that the transactions might not comply with both federal and state laws.
—Hannah Parker, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for construe
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Jan. 2026
Beyond the sideline body language, Cignetti’s particularly dry sense of humor in news conferences could be construed by some as dismissive.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The issue at hand is that people often construe exercise as being laborious, tedious, and just not especially appealing.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
As long as the money from cannabis sales could be construed under federal law as the proceeds of a crime, banks that do business with dispensaries must file scores of individual reports, alerting regulators that the transactions might not comply with both federal and state laws.
—Hannah Parker, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for construe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for construe
Verb
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Instead, judge arguments based on the merits of the underlying facts, and how experts scrupulously interpret those facts.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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Toxicologist Alex LeBeau urged caution when interpreting the results.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In reality, the project and its progressive defenders fed those forces rather than clarified them.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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Republicans framed the bathroom and driver’s license bill as an addendum clarifying the intent of a separate 2023 bill barring trans women from accessing female-only spaces.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other experts said the subject’s movement could illustrate a lack of urgency.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The singer stood next to a set of faux power lines onstage, which quickly exploded to illustrate the island's frequent power outages.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whitwam explains that Catalina mule deer hunting was traditionally reserved for island residents and their guests, or hunters who were willing to book with a local guide.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
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Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs argued Brady’s role as a sports network broadcaster — not just a Patriots icon — explains his neutral stance.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike the Cold War-era contest between the Soviet Union and the United States, which was driven by governments seeking to demonstrate technological superiority, today's race is increasingly powered by private companies and commercial competition.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Still, the tech giant is facing a growing set of challenges, from intensifying competition to lingering concerns of an AI bubble and relentless pressure to demonstrate growth after several explosive quarters.—
Rosa de Acosta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gender presentation as a theme is suggested, rather than explicated, by the yin-yang survival modes pursued by Lady and her oldest friend Pinky (Amanda Oruh), the other girl in the opening sequence.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
22 Jan. 2026
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Haidt, who previously explicated many of his thoughts about Gen Z in the New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation, used a powerful metaphor to explain the neurological consequences of this change: tree roots.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Concluding his monologue, Stewart also elucidated the ironic, frustrating parallels between the lack of legal accountability for those named in the Epstein files and the administration’s law-and-order crackdown toward immigration.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
2 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps not lucid dreams, but elucidating ones.—
Shaad D’Souza,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Construe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/construe. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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