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

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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

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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 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 Arendt herself complicated matters by calling it journalism instead of philosophy, which added to the misunderstandings. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Clear, descriptive communication with your doctor helps prevent those misunderstandings. — Jason Phillips, Ascend Agency, 24 Aug. 2026 This is also a good season to clean up any recurring misunderstandings. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 22 Aug. 2026 Questions provide that feedback immediately, allowing managers to clarify, adapt or deepen the discussion before misunderstandings become decisions. — Chiara Alzati, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 App makers also advise against confrontation and accept no liability for false positives or misunderstandings. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026 Turkey and Israel began technical talks in Azerbaijan in 2025 aimed at preventing misunderstandings or military incidents in Syria. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 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 deep disagreements over territory and security guarantees that re-emerged this week underscore obstacles to ending the war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Both blame each other for the fiery fights, with Lago saying that disagreements between commissioners used to be more civil before Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez were elected in 2023.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of disagreements
Noun
  • The system is designed to let robots identify mistakes during operation, adjust their behavior and retain useful experience for subsequent attempts.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Florida judges, lawmakers and governors perpetuate the patently unreliable assumption that jurors never make mistakes.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistakes
Noun
  • This means the choice should be somebody who, for instance, isn’t going to sound off divisively about politics, get into messy domestic disputes or start going on public benders.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The column warns that the disputes could extend beyond the election, potentially providing grounds to challenge results or undermine their legitimacy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 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
  • Other witnesses, including friends of Smith and Parker, recalled past altercations between the couple.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Images showed altercations between police and protesters, with officers using batons to strike demonstrators, who threw barriers.
    — Joseph Wilson, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of altercations
Noun
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores the complexities and controversies surrounding a rancher's decision to sell shares of his cattle herd, which led to regulatory scrutiny.
    — Abby ShalekBriski, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The ad is made completely with AI and shows Shapiro touting his biggest controversies as governor.
    — Josh Taylor, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of controversies

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Cite this Entry

“Misunderstandings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstandings. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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