misplace

verb

mis·​place ˌmis-ˈplās How to pronounce misplace (audio)
misplaced; misplacing; misplaces

transitive verb

1
a
: to put in a wrong or inappropriate place
misplace a comma
b
: mislay
misplaced the keys
2
: to set on a wrong object or eventuality
his trust had been misplaced
misplacement noun

Examples of misplace in a Sentence

I seem to have misplaced my keys.
Recent Examples on the Web South Africa has no moral standing to sue Israel for alleged genocide in the International Court of Justice. Clamors for a cease-fire are misplaced. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 Then Ivey misplaced a pass to Killian Hayes, who cut to the rim from the left wing. Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, 13 Jan. 2024 Residents pushed back a week before the teen violence meeting saying the department’s priorities were misplaced for going after doxing claims when the department should be focused on arresting people suspected of Gilbert Goon assaults or other teen attacks. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 But Ancora said regulators' and labor groups' fears are misplaced. Josh Funk, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Initially, there were suspicions that countries such as France and Germany would wish to protect their roles as potential peacemakers, but both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to appreciate that trust in Putin was misplaced. Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2024 The mania to solve the complexities of life, or to untangle braided identities, is likely misplaced, the wise Sabi would probably counsel me. The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2024 The fear that security teams will be consumed by the need to be quantum crypto-agile is misplaced. Kevin Bocek, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 But the research data indicates that confidence may be misplaced. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misplace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of misplace was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near misplace

Cite this Entry

“Misplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misplace. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misplace

verb
mis·​place (ˈ)mis-ˈplās How to pronounce misplace (audio)
1
: to put in a wrong place
2
: mislay
misplacement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misplace

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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