misunderstand

verb

(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand How to pronounce misunderstand (audio)
Definition of misunderstandnext
as in to miss
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 misunderstand Imagine a fall-detection system that fails at night, a workplace safety monitor that misses a crucial action or a robot that misunderstands what a person is doing because it’s never seen that exact interaction before. — Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 The Libra Sun opposes Neptune across your personal and shared resource zones, making promises, expenses, or contributions easy to misunderstand. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026 Mercury opposes elusive Neptune, making deadlines, availability, or expectations easier to misunderstand. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026 Much like the reception to his first book, The Zombie Survival Guide, many fans seem to misunderstand his intentions. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
  1. miss
  2. mistake
  3. misread
  4. misconstrue
  5. misinterpret
  6. misapprehend
Verb
  • Last month, Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission reported that the largest grid in the country will miss its reliability standard starting next year.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Not only were LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges absent after high-profile summertime trades, but returnees Kon Knueppel and Coby White were also missing because of injury.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of miss
Verb
  • Those symptoms were consistent with acrylamide exposure, Suyama said, adding these could easily be mistaken for a neurodegenerative disease.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Neither algorithms nor their operators should mistake the limits of an existing explanation for the limits of reality.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • That’s also another beat in the documentary where Evans and Holmes seem to misread or misunderstand popular culture, humor, or art.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Language is an easy place for companies to misread the environment.
    — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of misread
Verb
  • Opposition contacts Rivera and his lawyers relied heavily on his contacts with Maduro opponents to argue that the government had misconstrued his work.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • For advocates, the law speaks to the horrific circumstances families can endure when a medical issue is misconstrued as abuse.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of misconstrue
Verb
  • Ask what evidence would strengthen an argument, which perspectives might be missing and how the message could be misinterpreted.
    — John McCartney, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • When a misdiagnosis happens, the root cause is typically that abnormalities on brain scans were misinterpreted, Brumel said.
    — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of misinterpret
Verb
  • Obituaries for nuclear weapons simply misapprehend the role these arms have played since 1945.
    — Eric S. Edelman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • 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

mistyping
misunderstand
misunderstanding
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Cite this Entry

“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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