misunderstand
verb (used with object)
to take (words, statements, etc.) in a wrong sense; understand wrongly.
had misunderstood
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past perfectof misunderstand.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Man City have denied the claims and say the Premier League had misunderstood the sponsorship agreements.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
A department spokeswoman later said the chief had misunderstood a directive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Scientists had misunderstood the jugal bone in snakes and snake relatives for generations, and the Najash fossils gave them direct evidence to correct the record.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
But Fazla, unaware of ROYGBIV, had misunderstood the assignment and instead used several shades of brown.
From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024
But seeing her now, standing watch over her fields and pastures, I realized that I had misunderstood her.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
