MISINTERPRET Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

misinterpret

verb

ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət

Definition of misinterpret

as in to misrepresent

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of his note on this passage in the novel seriously misinterprets the author's meaning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to misunderstand

to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of we misinterpreted the directions and ended up on the wrong side of town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of misinterpret Billie, in turn, misinterprets that line as a message about wanting to open their relationship. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 Testimony is an account and people are often wrong or misinterpret about what happened to them. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The danger is that governments and markets grow accustomed to a Strait of Hormuz that functions only intermittently and misinterpret the stopgap as a resolution. — Amena Bakr, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Lyonne was really open to the process and has been misinterpreted so much over the course of her life. — Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misinterpret

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misinterpret

Verb

In response, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint Wednesday with the State Bar of California asking it to investigate whether Zacharia misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of California law.

— Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
But Amendment 83 has drawn an especially stark contrast between two types of Colorado’s hunters, with each claiming that the other is misrepresenting the interest of both the public and Centennial State hunters and anglers.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of misrepresent

Verb

That’s also another beat in the documentary where Evans and Holmes seem to misread or misunderstand popular culture, humor, or art.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Reward prediction error reflects a discrepancy in the outcome or goal and, in the NVA system, can indicate that the AI has misunderstood what the person ultimately wanted.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of misunderstand

Verb

While there are men who have been affected — George Brett Olson has been one vocal example — the majority affected seem to be women, whose likenesses are often exaggerated or distorted for the purposes of sexualization.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
The carbon molecules then distort the star’s light so much that almost all of it is squeezed into wavelengths beyond 600 nanometres.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of distort

Browse Nearby Words

misinforms

misinterpret

misinterpretation

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Style

“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misinterpret. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of misinterpret

verb

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