misinterpret
verb
mis·in·ter·pret
ˌmi-sᵊn-ˈtər-prət 
-pət
misinterpreted; misinterpreting; misinterprets
1
: to explain wrongly
His comment on the speech misinterprets the speaker's meaning.
2
: to understand wrongly
Their silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.
Examples of misinterpret in a Sentence
He claims that his statements have been misinterpreted by the media.
Her silence should not be misinterpreted as consent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Howard Trickey, an attorney who has spent most of his career representing public schools in Alaska, said the state could be misinterpreting the law.
—
Emily Schwing, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
In the absence of clarity, Gulf partners could misinterpret the assurance as equivalent to NATO’s Article 5—which says that an armed attack on one ally will be considered an attack on all members.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
No one would ever misinterpret the work.
—Chuck Palahniuk, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Women’s health experts say the risks were misinterpreted, and did not properly reflect the data from the study.
—Alice Park, Time, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpret
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Emily Schwing, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
In the absence of clarity, Gulf partners could misinterpret the assurance as equivalent to NATO’s Article 5—which says that an armed attack on one ally will be considered an attack on all members.
—James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
No one would ever misinterpret the work.
—Chuck Palahniuk, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Women’s health experts say the risks were misinterpreted, and did not properly reflect the data from the study.
—Alice Park, Time, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misinterpret
Cite this Entry
“Misinterpret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinterpret. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
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