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
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Employers should not punish an employee for complaining, based on an objectively reasonable misunderstanding, that the employer is violating a specific law, whether the EPA or another law.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Lambert said that misunderstanding the limits of local authority likely fueled the online reaction.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Noun
Jason gives the exact same recap of their night out, so there is no misunderstanding by either party.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Employers should not punish an employee for complaining, based on an objectively reasonable misunderstanding, that the employer is violating a specific law, whether the EPA or another law.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
Does the music feel lesser or compromised to you, or are the critics being unfair or just misunderstanding the new album?
—Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
Lambert said that misunderstanding the limits of local authority likely fueled the online reaction.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
-
While rebounding kept the Horned Frogs in the game early, the offense finally picked up until the mistakes piled up down the stretch.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Let’s look back on 2025 fantasy misses to look forward and avoid making the signature mistake of each whiff come the 2026 draft season.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Police had initially said the shooting involved a family dispute but gave no specific details.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prater was hurt in the first half of a season-ending 35-8 win over the New York Jets on Sunday in his return after missing two games.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The only thing missing from his resume is Olympic gold.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When the mind of a bilingual child mirrors absurd translations, their poetic misinterpretations can accidentally produce multiple meanings — and create puns.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
15 Dec. 2025
-
That misinterpretation is common.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Or one who dismissed concerns from Black New Yorkers by citing disagreements with African leaders.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Tommy has opposed the offshore well from the start — a gamble with only a 10% chance of success — and the disagreement has long strained his relationship with Cami.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Buffett has also repeatedly cautioned shareholders against mistaking volatility for failure.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
1 Jan. 2026
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The creative LaMelo Ball, along with Kon Knueppel, Collin Sexton and Tre Mann are all gifted scorers and offensive forces, but nobody is mistaking them for members of the 2004 Pistons.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
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
-
During the altercation, the security guard shot and killed the man, McCabe said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In 2019, Dykstra had drug and terroristic threat charges dropped after an altercation with an Uber driver in New Jersey in 2018.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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