as in missed
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 misunderstood
Democrats stand for upholding the Constitution and Rule of Law but have been misunderstood by the electorate.
—
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So both sides have misunderstood his constituency.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Many patients are surprised to learn that watery eyes can actually be a sign of dryness, a common but frequently misunderstood symptom.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Riesling, a white grape native to Germany, is beloved by a small and devoted cadre of wine geeks, yet is misunderstood by the masses.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
So both sides have misunderstood his constituency.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Many patients are surprised to learn that watery eyes can actually be a sign of dryness, a common but frequently misunderstood symptom.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Riesling, a white grape native to Germany, is beloved by a small and devoted cadre of wine geeks, yet is misunderstood by the masses.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misunderstood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstood
Verb
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But Maxey missed his final three attempts, and the Celtics held on to win.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Houston survived James’ missed potential winner at the end of regulation after Alperen Şengün couldn’t score on the other end, but overtime felt inevitable — and so did the unraveling.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Prior to the Board’s decision, several Skokie residents came to the defense of Johnson, arguing that their previous advocacy efforts for the village have long been misconstrued.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition.—
Valerie M. Fridland,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Engen compounded that mistake by misreading a back-pass from teammate Lindsey Heaps in the 83rd minute.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Those who identify Elise as Malfatti contend that Nohl simply misread Beethoven’s handwriting of the name Therese.—
Brian Duignan,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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About 90 minutes after the lockdown took effect, the Naval Academy’s deputy commandant emailed students, telling them that as law enforcement worked to secure the school, a midshipman mistook police for a threat and engaged them, according to the official.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Curtain calls In 1999, a male hippo in rut apparently mistook a passing tractor at a French zoo for a rival and smashed through his enclosure fencing.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Put the agreement in simple terms so nothing gets misinterpreted.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Keep your messages direct so nothing gets misinterpreted.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstood. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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