miss the point

Idioms and Phrases

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

Its many female characters — so many, good, bad and mostly in between — not only demonstrate power, but, so you don’t miss the point, talk about it.

From Los Angeles Times

But the idea of handling such a gleeful provocateur with kid gloves seems to somehow miss the point of De Palma’s work.

From Los Angeles Times

“But intellectual judgments of the Hitler experience — Hitler-Erlebnis — miss the point entirely.”

From Salon

Those who said "'Hitler's speeches are meaningless and empty,' wrote Hans Prinzhorn, 'miss the point entirely.' With Hitler, as perhaps with Trump, the medium is the message."

From Salon

Without a concerted approach, these efforts, though important, kind of miss the point, Mónica Ramírez said.

From Salon

Related Words

• confuse
• miscalculate
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misjudge
• misread