misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand 
misunderstood
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
1
: to fail to understand
I misunderstood the message.
2
: to interpret incorrectly
I think you misunderstood my intentions.
Examples of misunderstand in a Sentence
Don't misunderstand me—I'm not criticizing your decision.
He feels that the critics have completely misunderstood his movies.
She expressed herself in clear terms that no one could misunderstand.
Recent Examples on the Web
But don't misunderstand Starboard's motive or thesis.
—
Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
Brenecki said that judges often face public backlash in such cases like Zarutska's, but many misunderstand the legal constraints in place.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025
In a May interview with Metro months before she was chosen as a Kennedy Center honoree, Gaynor made headlines for her surprising response to a question about what people misunderstand about her.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
But that view misunderstands how the Senate’s debate rules actually work.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
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Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
Brenecki said that judges often face public backlash in such cases like Zarutska's, but many misunderstand the legal constraints in place.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025
In a May interview with Metro months before she was chosen as a Kennedy Center honoree, Gaynor made headlines for her surprising response to a question about what people misunderstand about her.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
But that view misunderstands how the Senate’s debate rules actually work.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misunderstand. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mis-ˌən-dər-ˈstand
misunderstood
-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
1
: to fail to understand
2
: to interpret incorrectly
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