| Main Entry: | decipher |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | figure out, understand |
Synonyms: |
analyze, break, break down, bring out, cipher, construe, crack, decode, deduce, disentangle, dope out, elucidate, encipher, explain, expound, find the key, interpret, make clear, make out, puzzle out, read, render, reveal, solve, spell, translate, unfold, unravel, unriddle |
Antonyms: |
code, encode, scramble |
| Main Entry: | cipher |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | figure out code |
Synonyms: |
break, calculate, clear up, compute, count, decipher, estimate, figure, reckon, resolve, solve, unravel |
Antonyms: |
code |
| Main Entry: | clear up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | explain; resolve |
Synonyms: |
answer, cipher, clarify, decipher, dissolve, elucidate, figure out, illuminate, illustrate, make plausible, make reasonable, puzzle out, resolve, solve, straighten out, tidy, unfold, unravel |
Antonyms: |
complicate, question |
| Main Entry: | construe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deduce; explain |
Synonyms: |
analyze, decipher, define, explicate, expound, figure it to be, infer, interpret, one's best guess, parse, read, render, spell out, take, translate, understand |
| Main Entry: | crack |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | discover meaning, answer |
Synonyms: |
break, cryptanalyze, decipher, decode, decrypt, fathom, figure out, get answer, solve, work out |
Antonyms: |
misunderstand |
| Main Entry: | do |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | figure out, solve |
Synonyms: |
adapt, decipher, decode, interpret, puzzle out, render, resolve, translate, transliterate, transpose, work out |
| Main Entry: | explain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make clear; give a reason for |
Synonyms: |
account for, analyze, annotate, break down, bring out, clarify, clear up, construe, decipher, define, demonstrate, describe, diagram, disclose, elucidate, excuse, explicate, expound, get across, go into detail, illustrate, interpret, justify, make plain, manifest, paraphrase, point out, put across, put in plain English, rationalize, read, refine, render, resolve, reveal, set right, solve, spell out, teach, tell, throw light upon, translate, unfold, unravel, untangle |
| Notes: | explicate also contains the implication that the something of which an account is being given is more complicated or detailed - so while one may explain why a child is crying, one would explicate the meaning of a poem or implications of a legal document; early senses of explain were 'smooth out' and 'spread flat' |
Antonyms: |
be vague, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, perplex |
| Main Entry: | figure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | understand; decide, infer |
Synonyms: |
catch on to, cipher, clear up, comprehend, conclude, crack, decipher, decode, determine, discover, disentangle, dope out, fathom, follow, get*, make heads or tails of, make out, master, opine, puzzle out, reason, resolve, rule, see, settle, solve, suppose, think, think out, unfold, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, untangle |
| Main Entry: | interpret |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make sense of; define |
Synonyms: |
adapt, annotate, clarify, comment, commentate, construe, decipher, decode, delineate, depict, describe, elucidate, enact, exemplify, explain, explicate, expound, gather, gloss, illustrate, image, improvise, limn, make of, mimic, paraphrase, perform, picture, play, portray, read, reenact, render, represent, solve, spell out, take*, throw light on, translate, understand, view |
Antonyms: |
misinterpret, misunderstand |
| Main Entry: | make out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | understand |
Synonyms: |
accept, catch, collect, compass, comprehend, conclude, decipher, deduce, deduct, derive, dig, fathom, follow, gather, grasp, infer, judge, perceive, realize, recognize, see, take in, work out |
Antonyms: |
misconceive, misunderstand |