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
Sometimes, Tarhan explained, women will flip the cups over and try and try to decipher the meaning left behind by the coffee sediment — kind of like reading your fortune in tea leaves.
—Samantha Husted, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2025
Finally, Ross helps boost your energy intelligence to decipher when rest requires slowing down and when it’s achieved by accelerating in a new, reinvigorating direction.
—Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Experts are still working to decipher exactly where the artifact is from.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 27 May 2025
For millennia, humans have utilized animals as a way to decipher our behavior.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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Samantha Husted, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2025
Finally, Ross helps boost your energy intelligence to decipher when rest requires slowing down and when it’s achieved by accelerating in a new, reinvigorating direction.
—Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Experts are still working to decipher exactly where the artifact is from.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 27 May 2025
For millennia, humans have utilized animals as a way to decipher our behavior.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 14 May 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 15 Jun. 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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