1
as in mistake
a failure to understand correctly
people once thought that there were canals on Mars because of a common misunderstanding of a report by an Italian astronomer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
tried to resolve their misunderstandings peacefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in missing
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of misunderstanding
Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
This belief appears to be rooted in outdated models of addiction, public misunderstanding and media portrayals that frame addiction as solely a problem of physical dependence.
—Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Were those people now passing on their mistaken assumptions to others, who in turn were misunderstanding them and acting on them?
—Big Think, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Noun
Advertisement Played by Vietnamese American actor Hong Chau, the Nelly of Fennell's film is reframed as the illegitimate daughter of a lord, and she is directly involved in the misunderstandings that drive the movie's central tragedies.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
This belief appears to be rooted in outdated models of addiction, public misunderstanding and media portrayals that frame addiction as solely a problem of physical dependence.
—Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
Interestingly, people often described fears that were based on misunderstanding how technology works – or fails to work.
—Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Were those people now passing on their mistaken assumptions to others, who in turn were misunderstanding them and acting on them?
—Big Think, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
-
In the dugout, after hitting an RBI single off Zac Gallen, Kyle made the mistake of catching a video of the TV broadcast.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
-
According to our cleaning pros, these are the most common mistakes people make with comforters, and simple fixes that keep them smelling clean all season.—
Farima Ferguson,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When disputes arise, most can be kept behind closed doors.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The top pros were held out of the last two Winter Olympics, in 2018 over a dispute between the players and the IOC, and in 2022 because of COVID-19 interruptions in scheduling.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
California search-and-rescue teams have recovered the bodies of all nine missing skiers killed Tuesday in a devastating avalanche in a remote region of Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The Nets opened with a level of engagement missing a night earlier.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Simple things that are so straightforward there’s no room for misinterpretation.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Yet Waltz finds that behavior to be a misinterpretation of Strasberg’s teachings.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Kramer and Fauci—their honorable disagreements, their curiosity about each other’s worldview, their good-faith debate—were the real show, all along.—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
After a disagreement with his team, Gabriel jumped off his raft and swam to shore, according to his parents.—
Outside,
Outside,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But analysts unfamiliar with the local and digital context risk mistaking performative loyalty for genuine belief.—
Elizaveta Gaufman,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Also, for the data to be readable across centuries, every single person or robot who ever handles the glass must avoid accidentally losing it or mistaking it for part of a futuristic domino set.—
Damien Pine,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Previous research has revealed that misreading or overlooking emotional cues in dogs can lead to inappropriate handling, and even lead to animals getting stressed.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
-
But this stems from a fatal misreading of Putin and his goals.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Dorgan had attended other hockey games without issue, and there’s no evidence so far that an altercation had occurred at the rink before the killings.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Transformers actor was arrested in New Orleans after an alleged physical altercation outside of a Royal Street business.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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