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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Recent Examples of misunderstand
The Democratic Party greatly misunderstood voter concerns about democracy, exit polls show.
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
O’Brien and Stringer appear to thus misunderstand European history.
—Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
This can be due to fear of change, misunderstanding the concept, or a complicated decision-making process.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
But a careful reading of the two candidates’ records shows that Harris’s work as vice president has been generally misunderstood by the public and that Trump’s border policies as president were considerably less effective than many Americans seem to believe.
—Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misunderstand 
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
O’Brien and Stringer appear to thus misunderstand European history.
—Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
This can be due to fear of change, misunderstanding the concept, or a complicated decision-making process.
—Kate Wieczorek, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
But a careful reading of the two candidates’ records shows that Harris’s work as vice president has been generally misunderstood by the public and that Trump’s border policies as president were considerably less effective than many Americans seem to believe.
—Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misunderstand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstand
Verb
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The Los Angeles Police Department closed her missing persons case.James Powel, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Common Mistakes To Avoid While explainer videos are incredibly effective, there are some common mistakes to look out for to avoid missing the mark.James Bryant, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Federal government officials have downplayed the reports in recent days and insisted the objects don't pose a public safety or national security threat, and in some cases, may simply be normal commercial air traffic mistaken for drones.Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2024
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In some cases, people mistake planes for drones The number of drones flying over the East Coast and the identity of those behind the activity remain unclear.Rhona Tarrant, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Those who seek conciliation with Trump are misreading the country.Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024
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Some have unstable internet connections, others misread the sheet music, and others might even intentionally play off-key—not just as a prank but to sabotage the performance out of rivalry or to undermine the concert’s success for personal gain.Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The call saw the two generals discuss Russian naval operations, with Gerasimov giving Brown an advance warning of Russian drills in the Mediterranean Sea, so that U.S. ships and other NATO forces would not misinterpret them as an act of aggression.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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This gets problematic because managers often rubber stamp membership reviews and the roles are misinterpreted by applications and services alike.Atul Tulshibagwale, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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
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Cite this Entry
“Misunderstand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstand. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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