misconstrue
verb
mis·con·strue
ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü 
misconstrued; misconstruing
1
: to interpret (something, such as a statement or action) wrongly : misinterpret
misconstrued her words/meaning/silence
He does not want his real name used in the newspaper because even the most innocent statement could be misconstrued here and lead to trouble, he says.—
Lynne Duke
Lynne DukeI instantly turned away, lest he should see and misconstrue my emotion.—Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë2
: to misinterpret the meaning, intention, or character of (someone)
… it is the post-Vietnam revisionists who have most ironically misconstrued [Herman] Melville.—Frederick Crews
Frederick Crews… a sad sack whom no one would misconstrue as charming.—Karen Karbo
Karen KarboExamples of misconstrue in a Sentence
claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
Recent Examples on the Web
My friend has always been ultra-sensitive, easily offended, misconstruing my questions.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Brown said there have been things misconstrued about the team’s decision, but the Ravens won’t comment on them publicly.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
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R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Brown said there have been things misconstrued about the team’s decision, but the Ravens won’t comment on them publicly.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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