misdirect

verb

mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt 

-(ˌ)dī-

misdirected; misdirecting; misdirects

transitive verb

1

: to give a wrong direction to

2

: to direct wrongly

misdirected their energies

Examples of misdirect in a Sentence

Their mail was misdirected to our address.

If he tells you he's not interested, he's trying to misdirect you.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hetherman said Carr is good at misdirecting defenses and finding the open receiver. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026

Broadly, cargo thieves are infiltrating email accounts to find lucrative shipments, misdirecting shipments, disrupting GPS tracking, and using AI to create fake driver’s licenses to get accomplices hired as delivery drivers. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026

In oncology, where treatment efficacy hinges on precise, patient‑specific data, even a small AI hallucination, such as a mistimed test, can misdirect care. — Brad Kreick, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Annals are historical records arranged by year; the clue leverages the entry’s singular form to misdirect us. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misdirect

• architect
• circumspect
• deselect
• dialect
• disconnect
• disinfect
• disrespect
• incorrect
• indirect
• intellect
• interject
• intersect

Kids Definition

misdirect

verb

mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt 

-(ˌ)dī-

: to direct incorrectly

misdirection

-ˈrek-shən

noun