mischaracterize
verb
mis·char·ac·ter·ize
ˌmis-ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 
-ˈka-rik-
mischaracterized; mischaracterizing
: to characterize (someone or something) wrongly
mischaracterized his position on the issue
In many cases, the problems that the news media, activists, and politicians hype are real enough; however they are frequently greatly exaggerated and mischaracterized …—
Benjamin Radford
Benjamin RadfordExamples of mischaracterize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The campaign mischaracterizes facts about same-sex parenting through California cases designed to maximize outrage, while specifically targeting in vitro fertilization and surrogacy as purported gateways to promoting LGBTQ+ families.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Berry told host Jimmy Fallon that fans were mischaracterizing her relationship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
An earlier version mischaracterized the percentage.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Due to an editor’s error, this story previously mischaracterized the geographic area served by Mapleton Public Schools.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
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Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Berry told host Jimmy Fallon that fans were mischaracterizing her relationship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
An earlier version mischaracterized the percentage.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Due to an editor’s error, this story previously mischaracterized the geographic area served by Mapleton Public Schools.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mischaracterize
Cite this Entry
“Mischaracterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischaracterize. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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