miscalculate

verb

mis·​cal·​cu·​late ˌmis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce miscalculate (audio)
miscalculated; miscalculating

transitive + intransitive

: to calculate wrongly : to make a miscalculation
This fall, publishers badly miscalculated the public's appetite for celebrity tell-alls.Patrick M. Reilly
… the bosses simply weren't ready when it turned out they had miscalculated badly.Kevin Drum

Examples of miscalculate in a Sentence

they miscalculated how difficult the mountainous trek would be
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
LeMessurier also realized his engineers had miscalculated how much stress would be offset by the building’s weight during quartering winds. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025 But Elmer is equally incompetent there, too, robbing the wrong train, failing at safecracking, miscalculating explosives and getting ignobly killed by lawmen in an Oklahoma shootout in 1911. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025 Sweet, struggling Henry committed more unforced errors by sous-vide-ing his duck and then miscalculating his timing to leave Gail’s plate unsauced. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 Attorney David Seltzer said prosecutors fundamentally miscalculated by trying to pursue conduct that was better suited for state court. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for miscalculate

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of miscalculate was in 1633

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Cite this Entry

“Miscalculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miscalculate. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

miscalculate

verb
mis·​cal·​cu·​late
(ˈ)mis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt
: to calculate wrongly : make a mistake in calculation
miscalculation
ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on miscalculate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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