as in missed
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misunderstood
Democrats stand for upholding the Constitution and Rule of Law but have been misunderstood by the electorate.
—
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So both sides have misunderstood his constituency.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Many patients are surprised to learn that watery eyes can actually be a sign of dryness, a common but frequently misunderstood symptom.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Riesling, a white grape native to Germany, is beloved by a small and devoted cadre of wine geeks, yet is misunderstood by the masses.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So both sides have misunderstood his constituency.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Many patients are surprised to learn that watery eyes can actually be a sign of dryness, a common but frequently misunderstood symptom.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Riesling, a white grape native to Germany, is beloved by a small and devoted cadre of wine geeks, yet is misunderstood by the masses.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstood
Verb
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Stewart missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from an offseason shoulder procedure.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
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The Warriors missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, earning the 10th seed in the Western Conference and eventually losing to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Prior to the Board’s decision, several Skokie residents came to the defense of Johnson, arguing that their previous advocacy efforts for the village have long been misconstrued.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition.—
Valerie M. Fridland,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alas, Frum misread the numbers, vastly undercounting Piker’s views.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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The exit comes as global agencies face growing criticism for relying on offshore models that some African leaders and policymakers say misread local realities — a debate sharpened just this year by Afreximbank’s public break with Fitch.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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And the Oscar for best documentary feature goes back to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin after Transportation Security Administration workers mistook the golden statuette for a weapon and removed it from his carry-on bag for a flight to Germany.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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About 90 minutes after the lockdown took effect, the Naval Academy’s deputy commandant emailed students, telling them that as law enforcement worked to secure the school, a midshipman mistook police for a threat and engaged them, according to the official.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Scarecrow comes to her aid, but his intentions are misinterpreted by the staff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
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Experts urge caution around the release of the new files, warning that UAP videos are often misinterpreted and mischaracterized by those unfamiliar with military technology.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstood. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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