Antonyms of the phrase "takes to mean" include misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand, confuse, and misread. When someone takes something to mean a certain thing, it means they have understood it to have a specific message or meaning. However, the antonyms of this phrase assert that the person may have got it wrong or may have completely missed the actual meaning. Instead of taking something to mean a certain thing, an individual may have misconstrued it, misinterpreted it, or misunderstood it. These antonyms serve as a reminder that words can be interpreted in many different ways, and not everyone may get the same meaning from them.