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understand

[uhn-der-stand] / ˌʌn dərˈstænd /




Usage

What are other ways to say understand? 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. 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 comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc. 

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:

I’m trying to understand your financial adviser’s logic and their alleged pushiness, because they seem to be pushing hard for these conversions.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

The scientific effort to understand neutrinos extends far beyond Antarctica.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

School children gave feedback on what sort of items could be included so that a list could be prepared to help shoppers understand what to put in the boxes.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Making it harder to understand how that price was reached might be.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

I can’t make him understand, when he’s committed to not understanding me at all.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Blumenfield also understands the objection but points out that the ballot already is overwhelming, and that everything in Measure LA addresses a change in governance and efficiency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The couple understands the trade-off — is it better to have cash in the bank or in home equity?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Analysts say the lifelong military man whose youngest son died fighting in Gaza understands the limits and costs of military force.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

But what I really love about “The Age of Adaline” is that it understands the heart.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

The way she tells me bye makes me think she already understands.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

Pauli understood how difficult it would be to verify his idea.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

"If external scientists have never studied a species, then potential risks cannot be accurately understood, let alone mitigated," the letter read.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

After I was diagnosed a couple of years ago, I looked back at my youth and finally understood why I often struggled with friendships and relationships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

“They understood that my help was not free money,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

He now understood the reason the Afterlife had dropped Gingersnipes in Deadwood so abruptly on the week of All Hallows’ Eve.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

The GDPx benchmark helps create a framework for understanding how AI is spreading through the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Legally, a loan should come with a contract and the understanding that the money should be repaid, preferably by a certain date under certain terms.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

This imbalance, known as matter and antimatter asymmetry, is essential to understanding our existence.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

The understanding is that because there was minimal contact and it was a slight tug on the shirt, rather than a sustained holding offence, the play was allowed to continue.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

The video recording announces, “The rover Resilience brought home many important discoveries that have moved our understanding of Mars forward, but the planet still holds many mysteries yet to be solved.”

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga


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