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
First, Kessler contends the panel misunderstood the application of Section 2 of the Sherman Act to the case.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
But to define Alex Martins by the Magic’s win-loss record is to fundamentally misunderstand the impact he’s had — not just on a franchise, but on a city.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The straightforward, seemingly trivial moment—a dog misunderstanding the basic principles of light and shadow—turned into a comically relatable spectacle.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
But to say that Emma is representative of the ASD community is to misunderstand the nature of the spectrum.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
But to define Alex Martins by the Magic’s win-loss record is to fundamentally misunderstand the impact he’s had — not just on a franchise, but on a city.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The straightforward, seemingly trivial moment—a dog misunderstanding the basic principles of light and shadow—turned into a comically relatable spectacle.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
But to say that Emma is representative of the ASD community is to misunderstand the nature of the spectrum.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
Verb
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In this way, the image captures both the bright corona, visible from Earth only during a total solar eclipse, as well as fine details that standard exposures would miss.—
Carlyn Kranking,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
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Conduct targeted workplace surveys to understand how employees experience the office today—what works, what doesn’t and what’s missing.—
Alaa Pasha,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Color can play a role in bringing wasps to the yard since wasps may mistake it for food sources such as flowers.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Maier, who was heading out of town that weekend for a meeting of the National League of Cities, saw the foot-long shillelagh and, according to a Milwaukee Sentinel story by Marta Bender, mistook it for a pipe.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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If a manager misreads your quieter phase as stagnation, consider reframing.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Likewise, the group’s patrons in Iran may have misread the events of October 7 as evidence of fundamental Israeli weakness, rather than a terrible but isolated error.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
Verb
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The response was overwhelmingly positive, though some viewers misinterpreted Stella’s behavior as nervousness.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
2 July 2025
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Of course, there’s always a risk that AI could misinterpret results or provide overly alarming information, so professional medical advice remains essential.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
20 June 2025
Verb
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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
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Some people misapprehend it and think of as imitation.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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