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construe

verb

kən-ˈstrü How to pronounce construe (audio)
Definition of construenext
as in to interpret
to make plain or understandable the role of the justices of the Supreme Court in construing the constitution

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of construe Multigrain Bread Multigrain bread is also construed as healthy, but here, too, its nutritional composition depends on the ingredients in the dough. — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 26 July 2026 Meehan cautioned that the shorter-term deal shouldn’t be construed as Bedard being uneasy about where things are in Chicago, even after three straight bottom-three finishes. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 19 July 2026 The policy also says nothing in it will be construed or applied in a way that violates state or federal law requiring compliance or cooperation with lawful law enforcement activity or lawful requests for information. — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 14 July 2026 The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be construed as financial, investment or trading advice. — Usa Today, USA Today, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for construe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for construe
  1. explain
  2. clarify
  3. illustrate
  4. demonstrate
  5. interpret
  6. explicate
  7. elucidate
Verb
  • The woman who had compiled the Handy Hints book helpfully explained these technical details to Flynn, whispering in his ear like someone translating a foreign language.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of explaining why something happened after the fact, the organization helps the customer stay ahead of it.
    — Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • Haddad clarifies that vinyl itself doesn’t rust, which means that any visible rust on the siding is coming from something else.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
  • With declining enrollment, high administrative costs, significant facility repairs on the horizon and state and federal funding support up in the air, administrators clarified that drastic cuts remain the only solution.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarify
Verb
  • Created by Violet Matter and illustrated by sh00, Roususu and Drawniels, The Mafia Nanny webcomic has amassed 420 million global views.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The project also illustrates the engineering demands that accompany the transition to a new bomber fleet.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • Pantone grouped 20 of the new shades into four trend palettes demonstrating how its forecast for bolder color can take several markedly different forms.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Shoppable fashion streams collapse that discovery-to-purchase journey into a single experience, letting viewers watch a product get demonstrated and buy it without leaving the stream.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of demonstrate
Verb
  • The new study adds another potential health concern, but the researchers themselves caution against interpreting the results as proof of causation.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The decision establishing the fund is very clear that contributions are voluntary and the act of contributing should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment of liability.
    — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of interpret
Verb
  • The exhibit mostly circumvents contextualizing the architectural details of the office, and rather aims to explicate the man who worked within it.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
  • His paragon, surprisingly, was Adorno, who, notwithstanding his mandarin prose, often explicated his ideas on radio and television.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of explicate
Verb
  • An announcement released in May by the US Department of the Interior elucidated the conclusions reached by the museum.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 Aug. 2026
  • He is slated to come on Closing Bell Overtime this week to elucidate his outlook.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of elucidate

Browse Nearby Words

constructs
construe
construed
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Cite this Entry

“Construe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/construe. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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