as in to miss
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally
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Recent Examples of misunderstand
Offshore planning that relies primarily on obscurity misunderstands how transparent global finance has become.
—
Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
This epic fantasy follows Nausicaa’s efforts to protect animal welfare through peaceful measures and negotiations with her community, who misunderstand and mistreat animals.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Requiring them to operate as ordinary MPIA applicants misunderstands their role and undermines their purpose.
—Vaughn Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
Treating Pahlavi as a shortcut to stability misunderstands both Iran’s society and the nature of this uprising.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
This epic fantasy follows Nausicaa’s efforts to protect animal welfare through peaceful measures and negotiations with her community, who misunderstand and mistreat animals.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
Requiring them to operate as ordinary MPIA applicants misunderstands their role and undermines their purpose.
—Vaughn Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
Treating Pahlavi as a shortcut to stability misunderstands both Iran’s society and the nature of this uprising.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
Verb
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Critics say replacement alone may miss risks Consumer advocates say the Lake Dallas case highlights a broader concern.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Not trusting adults can be mistaken as a disrespect for authority and can cause problems at home and school.—
Dr. Andrew Garner,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Sathishkumar, chairman of a local medical institution, claimed to the outlet that the airline misread the country's entry rules.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Don’t misread their darkness as weakness.—
Chris Schembra,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brown said there have been things misconstrued about the team’s decision, but the Ravens won’t comment on them publicly.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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The company’s current owners maintain its work has been misconstrued and that the charges against its former executives were unjustified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chapman, in particular, noted people may have misinterpreted what Vitello said.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Justice Department lawyers argued that Boasberg set too high a standard for prosecutors to meet at the early stages of an investigation and misinterpreted the timeline of the probe.—
Andrew Goudsward,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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