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
Imagine walking into your doctor’s office feeling sick – and rather than flipping through pages of your medical history or running tests that take days, your doctor instantly pulls together data from your health records, genetic profile and wearable devices to help decipher what’s wrong.
—Turgay Ayer, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
Throughout the 20th century, as ruins plunder shifted to protecting the cliff dwellings, archaeologists tried to decipher the remnants and make amends with the descendants, while understanding the ancient situation that prompted this mass migration.
—Mike Bezemek, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
The sister looked for clues in the woman’s body language, something adoring and sympathetic, but could not decipher whether this woman was the child’s mother.
—Nora Lange, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
As the cars zoomed around the track, spectators squinted to decipher whose ride was whose.
—William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for decipher
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.
Turgay Ayer, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
Throughout the 20th century, as ruins plunder shifted to protecting the cliff dwellings, archaeologists tried to decipher the remnants and make amends with the descendants, while understanding the ancient situation that prompted this mass migration.
—Mike Bezemek, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
The sister looked for clues in the woman’s body language, something adoring and sympathetic, but could not decipher whether this woman was the child’s mother.
—Nora Lange, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
As the cars zoomed around the track, spectators squinted to decipher whose ride was whose.
—William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 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 21 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share