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
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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
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Some advice might be outdated, while other advice stems from common misunderstandings.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
Pig myths and misunderstandings McLeod and Jennings are quick to dispel myths about their family of pigs.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Leave no room for misunderstandings, period.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
In California’s highly regulated wage environment, those misunderstandings can lead to disputes if employees believe their pay is being calculated incorrectly.
—Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Washington and Hollywood have long had an awkward relationship, with players in each power center harboring insecurities and misunderstandings about the other as politics and entertainment have steadily merged into a single cultural force.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
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Some advice might be outdated, while other advice stems from common misunderstandings.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
Pig myths and misunderstandings McLeod and Jennings are quick to dispel myths about their family of pigs.
—Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Leave no room for misunderstandings, period.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
In California’s highly regulated wage environment, those misunderstandings can lead to disputes if employees believe their pay is being calculated incorrectly.
—Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Washington and Hollywood have long had an awkward relationship, with players in each power center harboring insecurities and misunderstandings about the other as politics and entertainment have steadily merged into a single cultural force.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 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
-
Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
In addition, this legislation could provide leaders with protection on state laws pertaining to NIL, which has led to lawsuits and a plethora of disagreements.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
In the report, the auditor general points out multiple concerning examples of mistakes in those summaries that could have a direct and negative impact on a patient’s subsequent care.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
-
Sandwiched between those mistakes was a diving grab on a sinking line drive by Gorman in the sixth.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
As the trio quarrels, bonds and ventures through the wild unknown, Felix discovers that true bravery may change not only his own destiny, but also the future of his home.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Charles Melton plays an American GI named Private K who’s trying to locate his daughter and keeps getting into bloody altercations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
The cases stemmed from a series of allegations, each made that the other acted violently in a series of altercations that month.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The conviction joins a running list of jail controversies for the Sheriff’s Office, mostly occurring under the previous administration under Laurie Smith and costing the county more than $20 million in legal settlements.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstandings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstandings. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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