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
Such popular memory, however, misconstrues a more complex historical reality about the Republic of Vietnam and the nature of the Vietnam War itself.
— Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Having a vision and being able to spread it throughout the world without it getting splintered or misconstrued was an impressive feat that Chavarria wanted to accomplish.
—Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Silence can be misconstrued as indecision in a corporate culture that prizes rapid-fire exchanges.
—Bala Sathyanarayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
His point was misconstrued by many, and fans took that to mean that the Mariners were not shooting high enough.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
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Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Having a vision and being able to spread it throughout the world without it getting splintered or misconstrued was an impressive feat that Chavarria wanted to accomplish.
—Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Silence can be misconstrued as indecision in a corporate culture that prizes rapid-fire exchanges.
—Bala Sathyanarayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
His point was misconstrued by many, and fans took that to mean that the Mariners were not shooting high enough.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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