1
as in mistake
a failure to understand correctly
people once thought that there were canals on Mars because of a common misunderstanding of a report by an Italian astronomer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
tried to resolve their misunderstandings peacefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in missing
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of misunderstanding
Armando Garcia, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Follow pre-decided processes to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary emotional labor.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Kirstin R.w. Matthews, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
People keep either misunderstanding or forgetting that there are not one but two revolutions going on here, the second being accelerated computing.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Noun
Nelson also said Damas was never convicted following his arrest and that the arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding when someone called police to report that Damas' 12-year-old son appeared to be walking by himself on a sidewalk.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Follow pre-decided processes to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary emotional labor.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Instead, a formal review of the original data showed the warnings were based on misunderstanding the data.
—Kirstin R.w. Matthews, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
People keep either misunderstanding or forgetting that there are not one but two revolutions going on here, the second being accelerated computing.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
-
And it's allowed for a lot of mistakes.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, that décor mistake can inadvertently make a space feel cluttered.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are also disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes in the north-central and northwestern part of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Federal Trade Commission and StubHub this week settled a dispute over allegations that StubHub concealed the actual, total prices of tickets over a three-day period in May 2025.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Susan Butts Tiffani McInnis endured the typical teenage growing pains under the shadow of her mother's missing person investigation.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Although Turkish officials have stopped short of declaring the incidents deliberate attacks, each interception raises the risk of escalation, whether through miscalculation, technical failure, or misinterpretation of intent.—
Steve Mollman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Keith Poliakoff, attorney for the developer, says his client will appeal the ruling and also request that the lower court rehear the case due to what Poliakoff called a misinterpretation of the Live Local Act.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ongoing military activity in the Middle East and disagreements over Iran’s control of key shipping routes have left the diplomatic effort vulnerable to collapse before the talks even begin.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The disagreement has also offered a preview of politics on the city’s newest Democratic body.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sabrina Carpenter on Saturday issued an apology on X after mistaking a fan’s Zaghrouta, an Arabic celebration call, with yodeling during her headlining Coachella set on Friday night.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Cooper is enormous, and there is no mistaking his power.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Manager Mark DeRosa’s misspeaking or misreading of the tiebreaker scenarios didn’t sink his club.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In their response, government prosecutors criticized the Sansons’ arguments as off-target and based on a misreading of the law.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Security broke up the altercation, but the fight resumed outside in the parking lot, prompting security at UWM Sports Complex to call the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the video, recorded by Mortensen on his cellphone, Paul can be seen screaming and throwing metal chairs, one of which struck one of her children who witnessed the altercation, according to the criminal indictment.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
