misunderstandings

noun

plural of misunderstanding
1
as in misinterpretations
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 disagreements
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions tried to resolve their misunderstandings peacefully

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 misunderstandings Neither approach is wrong, but misunderstandings can arise when one partner feels crowded and the other feels lonely. — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026 But they could also be described as misconceptions, misunderstandings, or straight up bad information. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 1 Nov. 2026 As with any such topic, there are all kinds of myths and misunderstandings out there. — Justin Pot, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2026 Clear expectations build trust and prevent small misunderstandings from becoming larger conflicts. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Now, as the wait continues for the judge's final ruling, some experts on student voting see the case as a reminder of common misunderstandings about the rights of some of the country's youngest voters. — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 The characters then find themselves at a desert window display and take the audience along for an adventure filled with witty exchanges, misunderstandings, wordplay and songs. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 As romance gives way to heartbreak, misunderstandings and difficult choices, the sisters may not always see eye to eye. — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026 Four Hands, Two Sonatas ends with Jeong-yo and Pi-o together again, seemingly free of the pressures and misunderstandings that plagued them for so long. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstandings
  1. misinterpretations
  2. disagreements
  3. mistakes
  4. disputes
  5. misapprehensions
  6. quarrels
  7. altercations
  8. controversies
Noun
  • There are several misinterpretations of what a chance of precipitation means.
    — Lance Schulteis, jsonline.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers say the inability of LLMs to provide the correct location is an inherent flaw that arises from training biases or from misinterpretations of instructions within the current context.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of misinterpretations
Noun
  • But even within the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu, disagreements remain over how to secure the parliamentary support needed to govern.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Discussing realistic exit scenarios early, and documenting how disagreements will be resolved, protects the relationship as much as the investment.
    — Anas Bhairi, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • The company cautioned that Claude can make mistakes in its responses and advised users to check important figures with their banks.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Now, her friends are said to be nervous that Lopez will never learn from her mistakes.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of mistakes
Noun
  • Even as Democrats gain power in states and Congress, many key disputes remain unresolved.
    — MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • While the appeal turns on complex legal disputes, political overtones aren't hard to find.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of disputes
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the New Atheists were making hay of the fact that such faithful misapprehensions about nature were easily disproved by scientific discovery.
    — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Ronald Reagan did not suffer from such misapprehensions.
    — Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Definition of misapprehensions
Noun
  • The overtones of social significance are adroitly handled and make real sense in an era of tragic international quarrels.
    — THR Staff, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of quarrels
Noun
  • Photos of the event published by The Daily Mail include snapshots of attendees appearing to be engaged in altercations, and partygoers seated on a lawn in handcuffs.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Protests outside the Hilton Garden Inn and nearby Homewood Suites, another Hilton property, have resulted in several altercations between protesters and law enforcement.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • Marshall’s campaign, in turn, faced an onslaught of controversies that his critics amplified in the race’s final weeks, including his medical debt collection practices and the blurred lines between his office and campaign staff.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Both candidates faced controversies throughout the campaign, including a dispute over a May traffic stop in which Lombardo was pulled over for allegedly running a red light in Las Vegas.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of controversies

Browse Nearby Words

misunderstanding
misunderstandings
misunderstands
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misunderstandings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstandings. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All