misused; misusing; misuses
1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
misused his talents
a word that is frequently misused
misuser
noun
plural misusers
: incorrect or improper use : misapplication
Synonyms
Examples of misuse in a Sentence
Verb
She's charged with misusing company funds.
a word that is frequently misused
Noun
No refunds will be offered on products damaged by misuse.
the warranty for this dryer is null and void if you subject the product to deliberate misuse
Recent Examples on the Web
Bysharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
And in 2015, a divided court said prosecutors misused a far-reaching obstruction statute to go after a Florida fisherman.
—Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Image: Google Image: Google Tracking tags are handy, but in the wrong hands, they can be misused.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
The claim that spread online this past week misused Social Security Administration data tracking routine requests made by states to verify the identity of individuals who registered to vote using the last four digits of their Social Security number.
—Ali Swenson and Melissa Goldin, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2024
The fact is that opioids are misused, causing many to become addicted and dependent on the drugs.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Chief among them was the concern that a few residents were misusing Glendale One, the city’s online portal and app to request non-emergency services.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
To expand 702, though, intelligence officials have to overcome the significant concerns of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who believe the powerful surveillance tool has been misused in the past, including to inappropriately spy on Americans.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The merits of the PUC’s plan notwithstanding, the issue is also a classic example of how the annual budget process is misused to enact major policy changes without fully airing their impacts.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Nick Rockel, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The budget at one L.A. school, Dixie Canyon Elementary in Sherman Oaks, has been cited by Prop. 28 advocates as an example of alleged misuse of the funding.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Less than two years later, in July 2023, multiple immigration advocacy groups filed a complaint with oversight agencies against ICE over alleged misuse of the practice.
—Cailey Gleeson, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Some social media users reacted by highlighting possible misuses, including potential fraud assisted with unauthorized voice imitation, or deepfakes.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
At least since René Descartes declared dogs to be no more feeling than machines, and doubled down on his thesis by nailing and burning some of the unlucky automatons alive, people objecting to the misuse of animals have mostly inhabited the losing side.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
And its misuse can increase the risk of children developing anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
—Cristiano Lima-Strong, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
At the time, executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s top negotiator, argued that defining actors as human beings would not be an effective protection against AI misuse.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Mar. 2024
Commissioner Joe Carollo Sued for misuse of public office
In June, a jury ordered Commissioner Joe Carollo to pay $63.5 million to two Little Havana businessmen for weaponizing city resources – from police to code enforcement – to carry out a personal vendetta.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
But like any tool, AI can be misused even by the well-intentioned.
—Bysharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
And in 2015, a divided court said prosecutors misused a far-reaching obstruction statute to go after a Florida fisherman.
—Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Image: Google Image: Google Tracking tags are handy, but in the wrong hands, they can be misused.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
The claim that spread online this past week misused Social Security Administration data tracking routine requests made by states to verify the identity of individuals who registered to vote using the last four digits of their Social Security number.
—Ali Swenson and Melissa Goldin, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2024
The fact is that opioids are misused, causing many to become addicted and dependent on the drugs.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Chief among them was the concern that a few residents were misusing Glendale One, the city’s online portal and app to request non-emergency services.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
To expand 702, though, intelligence officials have to overcome the significant concerns of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who believe the powerful surveillance tool has been misused in the past, including to inappropriately spy on Americans.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The merits of the PUC’s plan notwithstanding, the issue is also a classic example of how the annual budget process is misused to enact major policy changes without fully airing their impacts.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
But the company is keeping the new voice assistant to itself for now, citing risk of misuse, especially during an election year.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The budget at one L.A. school, Dixie Canyon Elementary in Sherman Oaks, has been cited by Prop. 28 advocates as an example of alleged misuse of the funding.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Less than two years later, in July 2023, multiple immigration advocacy groups filed a complaint with oversight agencies against ICE over alleged misuse of the practice.
—Cailey Gleeson, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Some social media users reacted by highlighting possible misuses, including potential fraud assisted with unauthorized voice imitation, or deepfakes.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
At least since René Descartes declared dogs to be no more feeling than machines, and doubled down on his thesis by nailing and burning some of the unlucky automatons alive, people objecting to the misuse of animals have mostly inhabited the losing side.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
And its misuse can increase the risk of children developing anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
—Cristiano Lima-Strong, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
At the time, executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s top negotiator, argued that defining actors as human beings would not be an effective protection against AI misuse.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Mar. 2024
Commissioner Joe Carollo Sued for misuse of public office
In June, a jury ordered Commissioner Joe Carollo to pay $63.5 million to two Little Havana businessmen for weaponizing city resources – from police to code enforcement – to carry out a personal vendetta.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near misuse
Cite this Entry
“Misuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misuse. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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