misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstand 
misunderstood
(ˌ)mi-ˌsən-dər-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
Examples of misunderstand in a Sentence
Don't misunderstand me—I'm not criticizing your decision.
He feels that the critics have completely misunderstood his movies.
She expressed herself in clear terms that no one could misunderstand.
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, failing to collect and remit sales tax properly, or misunderstanding 1099 vs. W-2 employee classification, can result in audits and penalties.
—
Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
But one mom of three has gone viral after suggesting that people are completely misunderstanding millennial culture during the Great Recession.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Beijing on Monday pushed back against Trump administration criticism of its trade deficit with the U.S., suggesting the White House misunderstands basic economic fundamentals.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Is Big, Beautiful And Sad Northern Lights Alert For 17 States After ‘Double Eruption’ On Sun
Time Blocking as a Leadership Act
Time blocking, often misunderstood as a simple productivity hack, is in fact a form of proactive alignment.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
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Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
But one mom of three has gone viral after suggesting that people are completely misunderstanding millennial culture during the Great Recession.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Beijing on Monday pushed back against Trump administration criticism of its trade deficit with the U.S., suggesting the White House misunderstands basic economic fundamentals.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Is Big, Beautiful And Sad Northern Lights Alert For 17 States After ‘Double Eruption’ On Sun
Time Blocking as a Leadership Act
Time blocking, often misunderstood as a simple productivity hack, is in fact a form of proactive alignment.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misunderstand. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misunderstand
verb
mis·un·der·stand
(ˌ)mis-ˌən-dər-ˈstand
misunderstood
-ˈstu̇d
; misunderstanding
; misunderstanding
1
: to fail to understand
2
: to interpret incorrectly
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