decode
verb
Did you know?
To decode is to take out of code and put into understandable language. (Its opposite is encode, "to put into coded form".) But dreams may sometimes also be decoded; psychologists often try to decode the images of their patients' dreams so as to understand the emotions behind them. And readers must often decode what a novel or story or poem is telling them, which may require two or three readings. Decipher is often a synonym, though we now use it when talking about reading difficult handwriting.
Examples of decode in a Sentence
Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
As the promotional push for Swift’s latest album revs up, fans are revisiting interviews from years past, decoding speeches and peace signs from award shows, and studying the text of a graffiti wall in the background of a music video.
—Kyley Schultz, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
While the signal wasn’t in the format the Voyager team is used to when the flight data system is functioning as expected, an engineer with NASA’s Deep Space Network was able to decode it.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
The researchers deployed a neuromorphic computing technique to decode the signals in real time.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2024
The receiver is underneath the skin in their chest and connected to a device that decodes the brain signals via Bluetooth.
—Caitlin Kelly, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024
For many, decoding the superstar's game day looks has become one of the highlights of the NFL playoff season.
—Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024
Or Thanh Huong Thi Truong, chef and owner of Truong Tien in Falls Church, whose family has been decoding Hue royal cuisine for generations.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024
In many public schools, kids learn to read by guessing words using context clues, rather than by decoding the sounds of letters.
—Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decode.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decode
Cite this Entry
“Decode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decode. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decode
verb
Share