MISSES Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

misses 1 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of miss

as in skips

to fail to attend had to miss work for a week because of the flu

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in misunderstands

to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of I think you're missing the point

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fails

to be unsuccessful everyone knows that most of the new television series will miss and be gone before anyone notices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

misses

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of miss

as in girls

a female person who has not yet reached adulthood a talented young miss who wants to become a writer

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in maidens

a young unmarried woman you should ask that young miss if she would like to dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

misses

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of miss

as in disasters

something that has failed a television season with far fewer hits than misses

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 misses

Verb

Some observers took that as evidence that high gas prices alone wouldn’t push Americans toward fully electric cars, but that conclusion misses half the story. — John Paul Helveston, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 As co-founder Jennifer Mantz noted, total surprise gifts carry intrinsic risks, often leaving recipients feeling guilty or uncomfortable when an item misses the mark completely. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Selma Blair’s recent in-flight arrest has raised questions about the potential effects when a person with multiple sclerosis misses prescribed medication. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The higher-end Sprout Pi also supports streaming via Spotify and Apple Music, plus apps, which, honestly, kind of misses the point. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 Northern Colorado is much less certain, with a greater chance of finishing closer to normal or below normal if the storm track repeatedly misses. — CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 If either misses significant time, Barron could move into a starting role alongside Abrams-Draine. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 But for the short-term, Maurice appears open to seeing how that line produces if Barkov misses time. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 In other words, my comparison of FEWOCiOUS to Peter Saul probably misses the point. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Noun

Harrison Butker missed an extra-point and a 52-yard field goal, a pair of misses that kept the game within technically a two-possession margin. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026 Costly free-agent misses, an aging roster and Dave Roberts’ tactical choices compounded the collapse, raising questions about how the Dodgers recover after an unexpectedly early exit. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 With such a volume of ever-new dishes, will there be a few misses among the hits? — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026 Those more specific questions reduced the misses in his test. — Wen Shao, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 Her camera has recorded all of them, including near-misses like an out-of-control van flying airborne across the grassy divider between the house and Route 30. — Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 These are the awful misses, with the goal gaping, that can define a match and sometimes colour an entire career. — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 According to data released Tuesday, the results also amount to a re-assuring victory for AstraZeneca, which is known for its metronomic success in trials but has seen some notable misses in recent months, most dramatically with a heart disease drug. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 9 Sep. 2026 Are the misses spread thinly, or concentrated on particular patients? — David Talby, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misses

Verb

The series opens with a quick MCU recap that skips a lot of crucial details to focus on emotion.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
With her social life in tatters and a world of her anxieties realized, Tae-ju rashly skips town, heading for the tranquil coastal guesthouse of another friend.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of skips

Verb

Ribera insists that this misunderstands the European perspective.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Imagine a fall-detection system that fails at night, a workplace safety monitor that misses a crucial action or a robot that misunderstands what a person is doing because it’s never seen that exact interaction before.

— Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of misunderstands

Verb

If the upcoming winter fails to deliver a banner snow season, recovering from the drought could take longer.

— Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The graph also fails to account for bigger developments in Russia’s diesel industry related to the strikes.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of fails

Noun

Nearly 1 in 5 middle and high school girls reported seriously considering harming themselves in a 2023-24 survey.

— Leondra Head, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
He was convicted in June of one count of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 indecent assault charges involving two girls between 1985 and 2008.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of girls

Noun

Its chief instructor, Wang Kuanghan, has said plans are underway to open five more centers in China within three years, expanding the simulations to other disasters, including fires and earthquakes.

— Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
The administration initially talked about abolishing the agency, arguing that states and communities could deal with disasters on their own.

— Dana R. Fisher, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of disasters

Verb

Measuring a quantum state typically collapses it, forcing it into one of two possible answers.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of collapses

Noun

The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
The author argued that the unrest reflected deeper failures by France’s political establishment.

— Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of failures

Verb

In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.

— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of flops

Cite this Entry

Style

“Misses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misses. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of misses

verb

noun (1)

noun (2)

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes