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 Friedlich hangs a lot of The Holes’s emotional bent on the dynamic between Joey and Carson, as two lonely townies who have spent a lot of their lives misunderstanding each other. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 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 Maybe an important meeting is rescheduled at the worst possible time, or perhaps someone misunderstands the context of your conversation. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 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
  • Scientists can now examine sections of DNA that were once inaccessible and detect forms of genetic variation that older methods may have missed.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In other words, my comparison of FEWOCiOUS to Peter Saul probably misses the point.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of miss
Verb
  • Klobuchar suggested that Schmitt was mistaking the Hawkeyes for the Atlanta Hawks.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t mistake this as an argument against technical training.
    — David Etue, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • In the face of the law, a fan misreading an article is different from a promoter booking the wrong performer.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
  • What officials misread back then was the source of that inflation.
    — Kelly Evans, CNBC, 16 Sep. 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
  • Without a way to connect those relationships, critical context gets lost, or misinterpreted, at every handoff.
    — Tom Dunlop, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But in my experience, if used on its own to diagnose, it can be easily misinterpreted.
    — Andrew McLean, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of misinterpret
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

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 5 Oct. 2026.

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