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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of misunderstanding
Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Easier said than done with Mars retrograde in your seventh house of relationships — hiccups, misunderstandings and general awkwardness is all the more likely at this time.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
After a conflict caused by a misunderstanding, the girl impulsively throws the fish into a river.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
It was reported that the language barrier had led to a misunderstanding in which Chechen soldiers fighting for Russia were killed in friendly fire.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misunderstanding 
Noun
Open dialogue can help prevent misunderstandings later.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Easier said than done with Mars retrograde in your seventh house of relationships — hiccups, misunderstandings and general awkwardness is all the more likely at this time.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
After a conflict caused by a misunderstanding, the girl impulsively throws the fish into a river.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
It was reported that the language barrier had led to a misunderstanding in which Chechen soldiers fighting for Russia were killed in friendly fire.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misunderstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstanding
Noun
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Tickle’s rapid ascent hasn’t been without setbacks, and the 22-year-old has made a handful of high-profile mistakes.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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Structured processes like those in the military, Pixar, and Google demonstrate how providing psychological safety and encouraging honest feedback can lead to learning from mistakes and continuous improvement.Thomas Bostick, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The neighbor whose property disputes require legal intervention rather than friendly conversation.Nik Ershov, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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The dispute originated with a recurring issue in the River Valley when strong odors are emitted from a biowaste storage lagoon in the Arkansas River bottom in Crawford County.Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Keegan Murray is considered questionable after missing the past two games with left ankle inflammation.Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 5 Jan. 2025
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The Leafs looked to finally have the missing piece.Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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So the excessive resort to violence of all kinds, plus misinterpretation of biblical scriptures are two of the generic causes.Marianne Schnall, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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Familiarity, while comforting, can also lead to unintended consequences like complacency, misinterpretation or a diminished sense of novelty in the relationship.Mark Travers, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The lawsuit, originally filed by DHL in September, centers around a financial disagreement stemming from MyPillow's use of DHL's delivery services.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
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But the board quickly devolved into disagreement Tuesday as supervisors nominated themselves for the officer positions.Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In 2016, the actress filed for divorce after accusing Pitt of physically abusing her and their children during an altercation on a private jet.Ashley Hume, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
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Two years ago, Jolie filed a countersuit over a dispute about the sale of her half of the pair’s winery that detailed an altercation in 2016 including Pitt being physically aggressive to both Jolie and their children.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Ohanian used his misconstruction of employment figures as the basis for a wide-ranging critique of California economic policy, mostly citing how the high cost of living drives people out of the state.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
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This is a gross misconstruction of federal law.Noah Feldman Bloomberg Opinion (TNS), Star Tribune, 10 Sep. 2020
Noun
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The heads of corporate branding cook up a brief, a design firm answers with a litany of slides, and, after iterations, interventions, and internal quarrels, the sign arrives in the physical plane, with glossy acrylic letterforms and antiseptic light.Laura Preston, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
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The key is to keep communication clear and avoid overreacting to petty quarrels and misunderstandings.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near misunderstanding
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstanding. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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