1
as in misinterpretations
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 disagreements
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
tried to resolve their misunderstandings peacefully
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misunderstandings
May 21 – June 20 Honesty can clear up any recent messy misunderstandings.
—
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Your curious voice can turn a tense back-and-forth into a kind brainstorm by talking through personal misunderstandings to ensure everyone is actually having a good time.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
In practice, family therapy involves having a neutral third party observe how everyone interacts in order to reduce misunderstandings, conflicts, and ideally, your stress.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 Dec. 2025
The recent events have placed them on different sides of a sensitive moment and their decision to meet privately shows signs of a mutual desire to speak directly while reducing misunderstandings and avoiding further speculation.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Getting these facts right matters because public debates, policies and resources – including money for programs – often rely on these assumptions, and misunderstandings can leave real needs neglected.
—Tim Slack, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025
With Mercury retrograde stirring your third and fourth houses, misunderstandings at home or with loved ones could test your patience.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Experts believe that misunderstandings about who needs screenings and how often may be part of the reason some women skip mammograms.
—Dr. Allyson Heng, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
The findings revealed significant misunderstandings or lack of knowledge among much of the population.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misunderstandings
Noun
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Doubts have been cast on jobs data due to misinterpretations of the labor bureau’s routine reviews of its statistics and its admissions about the difficulty of getting answers to its employment surveys.—
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When the mind of a bilingual child mirrors absurd translations, their poetic misinterpretations can accidentally produce multiple meanings — and create puns.—
Noun
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Over the course of the hour-long runtime, all the girls bring their lingering tensions and disagreements to the table and air everything out.—
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Democrats gathered for a conference hosted by progressives were sneering at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who was not present, for shutting down popular new faces based on disagreements over specific issues.—
Noun
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In Slow Horses — an adaptation of author Mick Herron's award-winning Slough House series — Oldman, 67, portrays Jackson Lamb, the leader of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents whose career-ending mistakes landed them an unwanted spot at Slough House.—
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This game was a defensive battle on both sides, as Hurts and Purdy had their fair share of mistakes, though the latter’s showed up in the box score.—
Noun
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Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
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Keeping Tabs on Car and Insurance-Related Documents Good documentation helps save time and stress during claims or disputes.—
Noun
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But by agreeing to disagree on these ideological quarrels, negotiators could manage to find ways to prevent them from triggering unnecessary crises.—
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There is enough division already without such quarrels.—
Noun
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No arrests, detentions or altercations with police were reported.—
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Loud sounds of rioters and altercations with Capitol Police could be heard clearly.—
Noun
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Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on culinary controversies and presidential proclamations.—
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Minnesota has been under scrutiny in recent weeks over yearslong investigations and controversies about alleged fraud in child-care centers.—
Noun
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According to reports, there were fights in the snake-like queue that formed.—
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Town budgets, school boards, zoning fights, shoreline resilience — these are problems that punish purity.—
Cite this Entry
“Misunderstandings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misunderstandings. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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