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
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Recent Examples of misunderstandings
Minor misunderstandings are also likely, particularly if someone feels unheard, dismissed or overly criticized.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Submission quality varies wildly, and committees end up correcting basic misunderstandings instead of debating strategy.
—David Talby, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Important details get lost, misunderstandings creep in, and decisions slow down.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 May 2026
The event is designed to offer tools to help improve communication skills, reduce misunderstandings and strengthen everyday connections.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Nevertheless, confusion with your kids, as well as disappointing, romantic misunderstandings, could also be a bummer.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
These misunderstandings, unfortunately, have happened between students and law enforcement around the country.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Some advice might be outdated, while other advice stems from common misunderstandings.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Any talks between the United States and China over AI regulations — designing some kind of arms control agreement governing the use of a technology that neither side fully understands or controls — will be fraught with suspicion, misunderstandings and risk, experts say.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Submission quality varies wildly, and committees end up correcting basic misunderstandings instead of debating strategy.
—David Talby, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Important details get lost, misunderstandings creep in, and decisions slow down.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 May 2026
The event is designed to offer tools to help improve communication skills, reduce misunderstandings and strengthen everyday connections.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Nevertheless, confusion with your kids, as well as disappointing, romantic misunderstandings, could also be a bummer.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
These misunderstandings, unfortunately, have happened between students and law enforcement around the country.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Some advice might be outdated, while other advice stems from common misunderstandings.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Any talks between the United States and China over AI regulations — designing some kind of arms control agreement governing the use of a technology that neither side fully understands or controls — will be fraught with suspicion, misunderstandings and risk, experts say.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstandings
Noun
-
Beatty said those early misinterpretations frequently determine what evidence exists later.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Doubts have been cast on jobs data due to misinterpretations of the labor bureau’s routine reviews of its statistics and its admissions about the difficulty of getting answers to its employment surveys.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Internal disagreements over strategy, including the role of tech donors, also emerged as a key reason Mahan failed to take off.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
-
The disagreements seem to be one-way in that the sheriff wants to change the wording of agreements now rather than on the contract’s closing date.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The agents weren’t focused on the early mistakes made in the case, however.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Bass acknowledged her mistakes during the campaign, said Gonzalez, a former head of the county Democratic Party.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
His brief tenure was characterized by disputes with the president over North Korea, Iran and Ukraine.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Community associations have found themselves in the spotlight recently with headlines about rising maintenance fees, contentious board decisions, and disputes between residents and leadership.—
Niurys Robaina,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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
Noun
-
Rounding out the top five names were seven write-in votes for the Sacramento Capitals or Capitols — which could be nicknamed the Caps to avoid quarrels over the spelling — and six votes for the Sacramento Stingers or Sting, referencing the collegiate Sacramento State Hornets.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
-
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Over the last few months, Taylor has been embroiled in a series of legal battles with Mortensen, first beginning in February with a pair of investigations by Utah police departments into allegations each made that the other acted violently during altercations that month.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
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Durso alleged that Valle was upset after the previous altercations and lost his cool when his friend’s vehicle was damaged by the crowd of youths who rocked and shook the vehicle Valle and his friends arrived in.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Located opposite the balcony where King was shot, the museum’s new Legacy Experience focuses, with urgency, on the modern era, with its controversies over immigration and Black Lives Matter activism.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
And other controversies, like the war in Iran, have overtaken the immigration policy debate.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstandings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstandings. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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