MISHEAR Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

mishear

verb

Definition of mishear

as in to misunderstand

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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 mishear Smart speakers have an annoying tendency to mishear, so the Google Home Speaker could be less frustrating in that way. — ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026 Host Matthew Deane called out each successful contestant by their title; however, Miss Panama Isamar Herrera appeared to mishear her own country being called over the speaker. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Gemini occasionally mishears commands or fails without a strong LTE or phone connection. — Brent Rose, Outside, 10 Oct. 2025 Likewise, transcription accuracy during post-call scenarios remains a critical bottleneck, especially when AI mishears essential details like customer names, street addresses or job descriptions. — Somil Gupta, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025 Older patients, especially, mishear instructions or are too overwhelmed by bad news to listen carefully. — David Owen, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025 These assistants regularly misunderstand, mishear, and sometimes just don’t listen at all. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 14 June 2024 The people in her stories mishear and misunderstand one another, indulge in compulsive wordplay and defiant corniness. — Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mishear

Verb

Hopefully Hollywood won’t misunderstand the lesson in those projects’ success.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Cuban argued that the proposal misunderstands how startup wealth works.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of misunderstand

Verb

Outsiders may misconstrue these behaviors as evidence that a trauma did not actually happen or that a survivor lacks credibility.

— Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
His attorneys feared Paul was trying to coax Fauci to say something under oath that could be misconstrued and used to prosecute him.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of misconstrue

Verb

Aronson’s lawyers argue that Paramount’s lawyers are misreading an IRS provision that affects the timing of severance payouts.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Instead, with the Cubs facing a one-run deficit, Taylor misread Pete Crow-Armstrong’s liner to Montgomery.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of misread

Verb

Testimony is an account and people are often wrong or misinterpret about what happened to them.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Legal and other professionals unaware of the range of natural responses to trauma can easily misinterpret these behaviors as signs of lying or malingering.

— Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of misinterpret

Verb

Perception of risks diminishes, perhaps not entirely, but enough to misperceive the balance of challenge versus ability.

— Christopher Ferguson, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
According to the researchers, these misperceptions may stop people from speaking up about their concerns and cause policymakers to misperceive how much their constituents care.

— Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2023

Definition of misperceive

Verb

That is true of leaders anywhere, but Israel’s history has predisposed some of its policymakers to focus excessively on day-to-day survival and to misapprehend or ignore strategic dynamics as a result.

— Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
But would her students, turned on everywhere by the dogma of political correctness, misapprehend Haynes’s aim?

— Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023

Definition of misapprehend

Browse Nearby Words

mishaps

mishear

misheard

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“Mishear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mishear. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mishear

verb

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