comprehend
Usage
What are other ways to say comprehend?
To comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc. To know is to be aware of something as a fact or truth: He knows the basic facts of the subject. I know that he agrees with me. To understand is to be fully aware not only of the meaning of something but also of its implications: I could comprehend all he said, but did not understand that he was joking.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“There is no privileged access to understanding its direction. You need to look through as many windows as possible. We humans are limited and exhausted and can’t comprehend the world in its fullness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“We just couldn’t comprehend the enormity of it. There was some comfort in watching it as a group. But not much.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
At first, she struggled to comprehend the danger.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Hard as it may seem now to comprehend, some people developed healthier relationships with others and had a stronger sense of their own place in the world.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
He didn’t fully comprehend what was happening, and as Andrew stepped aside, Isaac started crying.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
College Football Brain is why we still have Zombie Bowl games layered on top of this 12-team playoff, as if anyone actually cares or comprehends why the quarterfinal needs to masquerade as the Cotton Bowl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
They communicate verbally and also, often in games, only with a nod or a look that the other instantly comprehends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2024
“I don’t think she comprehends the breadth and depth of the suffering she has caused,” a tearful Ruetten said.
From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024
The Smith family comprehends this in ways most don't.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2022
He comprehends it, being a man full grown, able to oversee the kind of house Zeus would endow with honor.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
They are to be relished if not comprehended.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Online discourse about any show ignites an array of interpretations concerning the producers’ choices, along with revealing who comprehended King’s overarching messages concerning fear.
From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2025
"I don't think 13-year-old me could have comprehended what I'm feeling now."
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023
They work at the lowest level comprehended by the contract, they work either too few weeks with an unreasonable pressure on them to produce, or too many weeks without their salaries going up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2023
I don’t think Burke Allen fully comprehended the depth and breadth of the curse upon my head.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
Volatile tech markets reflect the challenges of comprehending and valuing the growth of AI companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"She's nonverbal, so we're not sure how much she is comprehending about what is going on at the moment," Lauer told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
“Higher capacity is required for complex transactions like contracts, which require not just grasping the immediate exchange, but also comprehending finer details, consequences and the broader context.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
And once comprehending, shall he go with the flow?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
She read the letter, eyes darting back and forth so fast that Anya was sure she couldn’t actually be comprehending the words.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Vocabulary lists containing comprehend
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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