1
as in mistake
a failure to understand correctly
people once thought that there were canals on Mars because of a common misunderstanding of a report by an Italian astronomer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dispute
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
tried to resolve their misunderstandings peacefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in missing
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
you misunderstood that poem because you took everything so literally
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of misunderstanding
Alan Wheeler, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Fences and landscaping creeps can cause small misunderstandings that quickly grow into legal disputes.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Sharing the same city also helps with simple things like meeting at the office, reviewing accident scenes, or misunderstanding traffic patterns and neighborhoods.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Noun
Another common misunderstanding is that the document was signed by all of the delegates of the Second Continental Congress on the same day.
—Alan Wheeler, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Fences and landscaping creeps can cause small misunderstandings that quickly grow into legal disputes.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Verb
This could be along the lines of a passive-aggressive email or a coworker misunderstanding your tone.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Sharing the same city also helps with simple things like meeting at the office, reviewing accident scenes, or misunderstanding traffic patterns and neighborhoods.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
-
Ahead, cleaning expert Sofia Martinez, CEO and cleaning expert at Sparkly Maid Austin, and Lea Grandin, social media manager and content creator at AspenClean, explain how to use vinegar to clean your oven, plus the common mistakes to avoid.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
Young people make destructive mistakes and deserve a path back.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Noun
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The dispute has opened a new front in a years-long fight over transparency at the shelter, which has faced multiple investigations into overcrowding, animal deaths and a sharp decline in transfers to rescue groups.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
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As bitcoin becomes more involved in private contracts, treasury strategies, cross border settlement and business arrangements, disputes will not always arrive in court as dramatic stories about hacks or scams.—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Ohtani returned to the lineup for the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox, after exiting the game Thursday at Pittsburgh and missing Friday‘s game because of inflammation in his left knee.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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Police responded to the theft on Friday night, and while footwear was among the items stolen, none of the missing equipment was considered essential for the team to play.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Previous measurements implied that the motion of stars in the SMC were indicative of the rotation of the dwarf galaxy, but according to these new results, that was a misinterpretation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
-
That burden exists for good reason — accusations are sometimes based on misunderstanding, misinterpretation or worse, bad faith.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The deadlock reflected significant disagreement among jurors over the brothers' motives and the credibility of their abuse claims.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Ken Griffin In one of the most notable disagreements so far, Mamdani and Griffin became entangled in drama after the mayor announced his new pied‑à‑terre tax proposal aimed at wealthier residents in the city.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
That’s when organizations begin mistaking operational momentum for operational stability.—
Doug Shannon,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
On the football field, there is no mistaking New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
What a misreading of the moment that was.—
Laura Secor,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
-
But a person familiar with the US-Israel discussions said the gap reflects a deeper misreading on Israel’s part.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Martinez had been attending court hearings over a charge of third-degree assault and breach of peace after an altercation with her sister-in-law over a babysitting dispute and was assigned anger management classes, the document states.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
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So far, detectives have found no evidence of a physical altercation or foul play.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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