decipher vs explain

decipher

verb
  • To read text that is almost illegible or obscure 

  • To decode or decrypt a code or cipher to plain text. 

  • To make sense of a complex situation. 

  • To find a solution to a problem. 

noun
  • A decipherment; a decoding. 

explain

verb
  • To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of. 

  • To give a valid excuse for past behavior. 

  • To make something plain or intelligible. 

How often have the words decipher and explain occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )