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

Relevance

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 The Value Of Speed To Investors Investors are now explicitly pricing speed and AI leverage into term sheets, reshaping how fintechs build teams and prioritize their roadmaps, yet Chisell says many founders still misunderstand how AI works. — Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 What’s something people misunderstand about female friendships in wrestling? — Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 31 July 2026 Often in the past intelligence has been equated to technology, but to solely rely on technology as a measure of intelligence misunderstands what intelligence is. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 July 2026 This seemed to misunderstand the limitations of space and time in a museum that has no shortage of Founding Fathers material. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 23 July 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
  • Wilson was back on the practice field Sunday, despite missing much of training camp with an injury, and will likely open the season as Seattle’s third-string running back.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The death toll in last week’s devastating flooding in Nepal has risen to 903 people, officials said Monday, as the number of those listed as missing nearly doubled to 4,247.
    — Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of miss
Verb
  • Many people mistake resilience for grit or simply pushing through.
    — Suzan J. Song, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Marcus mistook Sandra's reliability and competence for engagement.
    — Dr. Rick Ruperto, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • The backlash intensified after reports of immigration authorities accessing Flock data, officers abusing the network to stalk women, and misreads that led to innocent people held at gunpoint.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Here is the part that gets misread as a story about one industry or one demographic.
    — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of misread
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
  • Billie, in turn, misinterprets that line as a message about wanting to open their relationship.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Simultaneously, the 'Audition Problem' highlights the performative nature of interviews, where candidates present idealized versions, and interviewers often misinterpret interview prowess for actual job competence.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All