Explain and Misinterpret

Explain

Explain verb - To make plain or understandable.

Misinterpret is an antonym for explain.

Misinterpret

Misinterpret verb - To change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of.
Usage example: his note on this passage in the novel seriously misinterprets the author's meaning

Explain is an antonym for misinterpret.

Common collocations

behaviour explain behaviour misinterpret behaviour
name explain name misinterpret name
relationship explain relationship misinterpret relationship
nature explain nature misinterpret nature
Other words: situation, way, characters, many, bit, actions, meaning, concept, plans, behavior, rules, feelings, events, references, motives.

Both words in one sentence

  • Don't Explain the Joke Every episode end with Geraldine telling Alice a joke, which Alice would completely misinterpret and Geraldine would have to explain.
Cite this Source
Misinterpret and Explain. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/misinterpret
Explain & Misinterpret. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/misinterpret>.
Misinterpret or Explain. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/misinterpret.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "explain" and "misinterpret" have occurred on timeline