misunderstand

verb

(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand How to pronounce misunderstand (audio)
Definition of misunderstandnext
as in to miss
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 misunderstand While a certain brand of Rugrats magic — namely, the ways babies misunderstand the adult world — is lost in this incarnation, fans of the original will find plenty of callbacks. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026 Either dark energy is a real phenomenon, causing the universe to grow bigger at a faster and faster rate, or there is no dark energy at all, and scientists have somehow misunderstood the laws of gravity at cosmic scales. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 July 2026 In response to a complaint from former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, Herbstreit posted a lengthy diatribe on X completely misunderstanding the modern game. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026 The county argues the grand jury fundamentally misunderstood what happened before the explosion, saying its investigation relied on speculation instead of evidence and wrongly blamed county officials for a criminal enterprise prosecutors say was built on years of deception. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
  1. miss
  2. mistake
  3. misread
  4. misconstrue
  5. misinterpret
  6. misapprehend
Verb
  • In the early days, the page teemed with posts sharing objects found, along with heartfelt and, at times, gut-wrenching pleas for missing personal items.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • After making all six of his shots and four of his free throws on Friday, Lendeborg was 0 for 4 from the field and missed both of his foul shots in the first half.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of miss
Verb
  • The catered lunch and the free wellbeing app are not the problem; mistaking them for the work being worth doing is.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The current podcasting landscape, to him, already mistakes access for art.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • Without that detail, teams may misread brittle demos as readiness or blame the model for problems caused by weak infrastructure.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • However, Soto misread the ball bouncing off the turf completely, choosing to have an aggressive route toward the ball and potentially catch it on the short hop.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of misread
Verb
  • Sherman misconstrued my letter.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026
  • In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 29 June 2026
Definition of misconstrue
Verb
  • Trump had campaigned on restricting birthright citizenship, arguing that the citizenship clause had been misinterpreted, and attended the April 2026 oral arguments in a first for a sitting president.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Managers often misinterpret Gen Z's workplace preferences, viewing their requests as entitlement rather than practical needs shaped by their upbringing.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of misinterpret
Verb
  • That is true of leaders anywhere, but Israel’s history has predisposed some of its policymakers to focus excessively on day-to-day survival and to misapprehend or ignore strategic dynamics as a result.
    — Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
  • But would her students, turned on everywhere by the dogma of political correctness, misapprehend Haynes’s aim?
    — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023
Definition of misapprehend

Browse Nearby Words

mistyping
misunderstand
misunderstanding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of misunderstand for Spanish Speakers

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