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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Recent Examples of misunderstood
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.
—
Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstood
Verb
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Guard Skyy Clark, who missed 10 conference games while recovering from a hamstring injury, struggled offensively, missing all five shots from the field.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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On Saturday, the Hurricanes hardly missed.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, stars including Tom Brady, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Costner, Alix Earle, Orlando Bloom, and Mark Wahlberg attended the starry celebration—and per sources, Alba and Burrow’s interaction may have been misconstrued.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
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Showing leadership is a good way to build alliances, but if misconstrued for over-confidence, the whole group could turn on you.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bank of America economists also believe the market may be misreading the current situation by anticipating that the Fed automatically will prioritize inflation.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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Industry guidance from Innovative Toll Solutions says common errors include misread license plates, toll tags that aren’t properly registered, duplicate transactions, or system glitches.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The doctors at Daso include an octogenarian who once mistook fat for an appendix and other doctors whose board certifications appear to be overstated.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One reason is that your words could come across differently depending on the person reading the message, so stick to using short sentences to avoid being misinterpreted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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The phrase began as a chant at a 2021 NASCAR race, where a reporter misinterpreted both the verb and the name addressed to Biden.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstood. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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