misunderstanding 1 of 2

noun

(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstan-diŋ How to pronounce misunderstanding (audio)
Definition of misunderstandingnext
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

misunderstanding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of misunderstand
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 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 misunderstanding
Noun
Ann Marie Lipinski, an august former Tribune editor, once told me that perhaps the purest encapsulation of coastal cities’ misunderstanding of Chicago was in how their media covered Dennis Rodman’s role in the Bulls’ second three-peat. — Will Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Then Murphy takes a swing at a cop when the flatfoot harasses the two of them during a misunderstanding in an alleyway, and he’s arrested. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
There has already been some backlash to the project, with fans apparently misunderstanding the scope of the technology. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026 In an article coming tomorrow, Clint Smith explores the betrayal of Black military officers, calling out the forces of reaction for misunderstanding the nature of patriotism. — The Atlantic, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
  1. mistake
  2. dispute
  3. missing
  4. misinterpretation
  5. disagreement
  6. mistaking
  7. misreading
  8. altercation
Noun
  • Mistakes to Avoid To keep your bird seed fresh, our experts recommend avoiding the following mistakes.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
  • According to Thomasson, two of the biggest mistakes that instantly date your living room involve windows.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • To join the plan, each one had to check a box, agreeing to use arbitration to settle any dispute.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Bracing for a ‘wave of disputes’ Take-or-pay contracts have their origins in the energy sector, where long and capital-intensive production timelines justified a similar legal ultimatum.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispute
Verb
  • After missing the team’s first three games because of a knee injury, defensive back Chamarri Conner is set to make his 2026 debut.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Shares are down another 8% after missing on revenue and issuing a very light sales forecast for fiscal 2027.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of missing
Noun
  • The hiring manager’s standards stop living only in people’s heads and start living in the system, applied without misinterpretation or human bias.
    — Pradeep Prasana Kanagaraj, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Sánchez, who faces an election next year, has said a misinterpretation of a Supreme Court ruling and disinformation on social media encouraged people to rush the border.
    — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of misinterpretation
Noun
  • The theory does not turn every workplace disagreement or questionable management decision into a wrongful-termination case.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But disagreement within one court does not establish a split between appeals courts.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disagreement
Verb
  • Carutasu was involved in another fatal shooting the following year, in which officers shot and killed 35-year-old Mario Sanchez after mistaking the cellphone in his hands for a firearm.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • These lacy white flowers look deceptively similar—but mistaking one for the other can have severe consequences.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of mistaking
Noun
  • But where Hwan’s Christianity is a willful, grotesque misreading of the Bible, Latif actively wrestles with his moral shortcomings.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But this response is a fundamental misreading of the genre and of its audience.
    — Rebecca Stafford, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of misreading
Noun
  • Police have launched a homicide investigation after a man died from injuries suffered in an altercation that was initially reported as a possible strong-arm robbery, a police spokesman said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
  • To illustrate Daniel’s progress, Shaikh recounted an altercation Daniel had while leading a Friday evening prayer service in jail.
    — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of altercation

Browse Nearby Words

misunderstand
misunderstanding
misunderstandings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 4 Oct. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All