as in to miss
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 misunderstand
And Venter was easy to misunderstand.
—
Matthew Herper, STAT, 30 Apr. 2026
Fabio Bertoni, the general counsel of The New Yorker, argues that Patel’s lawyers seem to misunderstand how the law (or logic) works.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026
In an interview with Flow Space, Vonn talks about the campaign, her new definition of resilience, and a message for those who may misunderstand her.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 16 Apr. 2026
This latter position fundamentally misunderstands the PRC’s determination to absorb Taiwan; expressing weakness is more likely to invite a Chinese invasion.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Matthew Herper, STAT, 30 Apr. 2026
Fabio Bertoni, the general counsel of The New Yorker, argues that Patel’s lawyers seem to misunderstand how the law (or logic) works.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026
In an interview with Flow Space, Vonn talks about the campaign, her new definition of resilience, and a message for those who may misunderstand her.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 16 Apr. 2026
This latter position fundamentally misunderstands the PRC’s determination to absorb Taiwan; expressing weakness is more likely to invite a Chinese invasion.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
Verb
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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Two missing California children were recovered in Mexico nearly two years after their father allegedly fled with them following their mother’s killing, authorities said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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In the latest request, Virginia argues that the state Supreme Court misread federal election law and also rejected the plain text of the state constitution’s definition of an election when blocking the new map.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Alas, Frum misread the numbers, vastly undercounting Piker’s views.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Some people may have misconstrued that as clear evidence that Guardiola, and City, have accepted the title race is over.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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The first lady’s claim that feminism made women put career over family, to the nation’s detriment, misconstrued what feminism means.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Will the people who misinterpret this character finally realize he was originally supposed to be an indictment of copaganda?—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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