as in misunderstanding
a failure to understand correctly
his misinterpretation of the ambiguously worded instructions was hardly his fault
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Recent Examples of misinterpretation
Clarity reduces the risk of misinterpretation.
—
Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
Beatty said those early misinterpretations frequently determine what evidence exists later.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
Doubts have been cast on jobs data due to misinterpretations of the labor bureau’s routine reviews of its statistics and its admissions about the difficulty of getting answers to its employment surveys.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
When the mind of a bilingual child mirrors absurd translations, their poetic misinterpretations can accidentally produce multiple meanings — and create puns.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2026
Beatty said those early misinterpretations frequently determine what evidence exists later.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
Doubts have been cast on jobs data due to misinterpretations of the labor bureau’s routine reviews of its statistics and its admissions about the difficulty of getting answers to its employment surveys.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
When the mind of a bilingual child mirrors absurd translations, their poetic misinterpretations can accidentally produce multiple meanings — and create puns.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpretation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misinterpretation
misunderstanding
Noun
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Across North America and parts of Europe, budgeting and planning tools are increasingly used to support transparency and reduce misunderstandings around costs, helping couples manage expenses more confidently.—
Craig Lebrau,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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Some Republicans, including Senator Tim Scott, called for the post to be removed, though the White House’s initial framing treated the matter as a misunderstanding rather than intentional misconduct, later attributing it to a mistake by a staffer after initially defending it as a meme.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misinterpretation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misinterpretation. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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