Synonyms of misinterpret

misinterpret

verb

ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət 

1

as in to misrepresent

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

his note on this passage in the novel seriously misinterprets the author's meaning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misrepresent
• distort
• misstate
• complicate
• falsify
• confuse
• obscure
• pervert
• twist
• garble
• cook
• slant
• warp
• misrelate
• mistake
• censor
• color
• fudge
• bend
• mistranslate
• disguise
• misspeak
• dissemble
• mask
• belie
• camouflage
• misdescribe
• veil
• lie
• whitewash
• gloss (over)
• mystify
• confound
• equivocate
• prevaricate
• bowdlerize
• mix (up)
• palter
• fib

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• explain
• interpret
• clarify
• illustrate
• clear (up)
• illuminate
• spell out
• decipher

2

as in to misunderstand

to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of

we misinterpreted the directions and ended up on the wrong side of town

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misunderstand
• miss
• misconstrue
• misread
• misperceive
• misapprehend
• mistake
• misjudge
• misconceive
• misknow
• mishear
• misdeem

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• understand
• know
• see
• perceive
• appreciate
• comprehend
• get
• grasp
• catch
• conceive
• penetrate
• apprehend
• fathom
• seize
• make out
• take in
• grok
• savvy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of misinterpret

When a busy thread frequently goes to sleep for short periods, the current AMD driver can misinterpret that behavior as a signal to lower its average performance target. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026

One is that Err Content has allegedly misinterpreted the screenshots since—the NFL argues—the relaying of video content occurs not through the NFL app but rather because of software native to the smartphones. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 July 2026

The vessel was out of Stockton, and bystanders misinterpreted steam coming from it as smoke, officials said. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

When ovulation occurs later, testing can occur too early, leading to results that may be misinterpreted in clinical practice. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 14 July 2026