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interpret

[in-tur-prit] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪt /


Usage

What are other ways to say interpret? To interpret is to give the meaning of something by paraphrase, by translation, or by an explanation based on personal opinion: to interpret a poem or a symbol. To expound is to give a methodical, detailed, scholarly explanation of something, usually Scriptures, doctrines, or philosophy: to expound the doctrine of free will. To explain is to make plain, clear, or intelligible something that is not known or understood: to explain a theory or a problem. To elucidate is to throw light on what before was dark and obscure, usually by illustration and commentary and sometimes by elaborate explanation: They asked him to elucidate his statement. 

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:

He can spot a batsman's weakness and interpret that into what it means for his own plans very quickly.

From BBC Aug. 31, 2026

Often we are swimming in information: recall alerts, traceback reports, lot codes, congressional inquiries, corporate ownership records, corrected test results, viral posts and, increasingly, apps designed to help us interpret the whole mess.

From Salon Aug. 27, 2026

Researchers believe changes there may contribute to the tendency of people with depression to interpret experiences more negatively.

From Science Daily Aug. 25, 2026

Yet many investors tend to interpret those records as warning signs.

From MarketWatch Aug. 18, 2026

Gottman has taught his staff how to read every emotional nuance in people’s facial expressions and how to interpret seemingly ambiguous bits of dialogue.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Together, these abilities suggest that traveling waves may be central to how the brain interprets incoming information rather than simply reflecting background electrical activity.

From Science Daily Aug. 18, 2026

Arkeus’s AI-powered platform gathers and interprets optical data from proprietary sensors, including light not visible to the human eye.

From The Wall Street Journal May 15, 2026

Saylor was keen to point out “systemically important banks like Morgan Stanley and Citi, all with intent to integrate bitcoin into their operations,” which he interprets as an “embrace of bitcoin as a creditworthy instrument.”

From MarketWatch May 6, 2026

That history of mistrust is an important backdrop to Thursday's escalation, shaping how Baku interprets every move coming from Tehran.

From BBC Mar. 5, 2026

For the King, or at least this is how Malory interprets him, was the patron saint of chivalry.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

"The changes we observed in glucose tolerance and gene expression could be interpreted as early biological signals related to metabolic or inflammatory processes," said Concha.

From Science Daily Aug. 31, 2026

That echoes prior comments he has made voicing confidence in Ueda’s handling of policy—a remark market participants interpreted as endorsing more rate hikes in Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 31, 2026

“People interpreted it that we’re trying to discourage all whistleblowers by the way we went about this prosecution,” Hochman said.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 28, 2026

Federal prosecutors dispute everything from how Crenshaw interpreted the acting U.S. attorney’s decision to indict to communications with the attorney general’s office and televised comments Blanche himself made about this case.

From Slate Aug. 23, 2026

Phonetically interpreted signs were also used to “spell out” longer words, as a series of pictures each depicting the sound of one syllable.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

After seeing a stream of comments interpreting it as mocking the security forces, she deleted it quickly.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

The trust has provided guides for patients on how to access interpreting and translation services, increasing the use of interpreters by 50% in one year.

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

“We are interpreting the flows in August as clients seeking to add duration once yields hit historic highs,” a BlackRock spokesperson said.

From MarketWatch Aug. 17, 2026

Using both earlier research and their own findings, the team also created a guide for interpreting possible tooth marks on fossils.

From Science Daily Aug. 5, 2026

The noise his crew was interpreting as that of enemy torpedoes, Herrick suggested, could actually be coming from the American ship’s own propeller.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin




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