Synonyms

miss the point

Idioms

Overlook or fail to understand the essential or important part of something, as in Chris missed the point of Gwen's complaint, thinking she was opposed to the date of the next meeting. This expression employs point in the sense of “the salient portion,” a usage dating from the late 1300s.

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.

Both statements can be technically accurate and still miss the point.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

But you miss the point if you fail to look at the bigger picture.

From Slate • Jan. 9, 2026

Do not miss the point: The battle is for our children’s future, not our present.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2025

So, questions about whether too much is expected of him miss the point - he and Ferrari expect that of themselves.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025

Nowadays, we would call this plagiarism, but that would be entirely to miss the point.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023