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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of misunderstanding
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
The weather — moods, misunderstandings, frustrations, disappointments — is variable.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Noun
Old partners may reappear, while current relationships may require renegotiation after misunderstandings surface.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
The weather — moods, misunderstandings, frustrations, disappointments — is variable.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
But Fox feels people are misunderstanding her intentions.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
-
Instead, recruitment mistakes saw their recent troubles compared to United’s since 2013.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The open availability of this kind of material poses a threat not only to migrants and activists but anyone with a digital footprint, because depending on AI to sort through it will inevitably lead to mistakes.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The ruling advances Chiles toward resolving a dispute marked by errors that cost her the floor exercise bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Games.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The company added programmers’ streaming applications in Spectrum’s expanded basic packages to lower churn and had a slight bump in signups when Disney channels were unavailable for YouTube TV subscribers during a recent carriage dispute.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Meet the expert This baby pink cat-eye manicure is all about what's missing.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t allow for any misinterpretation.—
Anne Sugar,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
From Breaking Bad to Fight Club, the misinterpretation of media that skewers the male power fantasy is well established, and the long-gestating HBO sleeper hit Industry, now in its senior season, is no exception to the literacy crisis.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The episode has punctured Preckwinkle’s reputation for managerial skill — a primary reason this page has endorsed her in previous elections despite some disagreements with other aspects of her record.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has demanded a resolution to the two countries’ long-standing disagreements about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And the administration appeared to underestimate the power of the blowback, perhaps mistaking the state’s passive aggressive reputation for weakness.—
Eric Roper,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 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
-
Police believe the shooting might have stemmed from an argument or altercation.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Just hours after he was taken into custody, Anderson was involved in a physical altercation with another incarcerated person.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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