misplace

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verb mis·place \ˌmis-ˈplās\

Definition of misplace

transitive verb
1a : to put in a wrong or inappropriate place misplace a commab : mislay misplaced the keys
2 : to set on a wrong object or eventuality his trust had been misplaced

misplacement

play \-ˈplās-mənt\ noun

See misplace defined for English-language learners

See misplace defined for kids

Examples of misplace in a Sentence

I seem to have misplaced my keys.

Recent Examples of misplace from the Web

Any worry about the Oilers not being able to afford his teammate Leon Draisaitl is misplaced.

— kevin allen, USA TODAY, "Connor McDavid's extension would be a win for all", 30 June 2017
Ms. Sami, the United Nations spokeswoman, said the focus on nongovernmental ships was misplaced.

— jason horowitz, New York Times, "As Migration Surges, Italy Weighs Barring Some Rescue Boats", 29 June 2017
The truth is that concerns about Smith firing Matta without an immediate replacement in mind weren't misplaced, because that's what happened.

— bill landis, cleveland.com, "Gene Smith's road to landing Ohio State's new basketball coach went through Dayton", 13 June 2017
The HMTCA Beekeepers even have their own business card that is hard to misplace: a cheerful golden yellow with a drawing of a humongous bee in flight.

— Courant Community, "At Hartford Magnet School, Beekeeping Class Stirs Real Buzz — And Honey", 8 June 2017
During oral arguments, Lafky argued that a red cigarette lighter found at the crime scene was misplaced, and when located, never tested for fingerprints.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Man whose triple murder conviction was overturned takes case to federal appeals court", 8 June 2017
There are of course all sorts of ways to complicate and enliven a narrative formula, and in this case, a bit more time spent getting to know Charlotte for Charlotte’s sake would not have been misplaced.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "'The Hero' fits Sam Elliott like a glove, and to a fault", 8 June 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — Announcing that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, President Donald Trump misplaced the blame for what ails the coal industry and laid a shaky factual foundation for his decision.

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "AP FACT CHECK: Holes in Trump’s reasoning on climate pullout", 2 June 2017
Announcing that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, President Donald Trump misplaced the blame for what ails the coal industry and laid a shaky factual foundation for his decision.

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "AP FACT CHECK: Holes in Trump’s reasoning on climate pullout", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misplace'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of misplace

1555

MISPLACE Defined for English Language Learners

misplace

play

verb

Definition of misplace for English Language Learners

: to put (something) in the wrong place
: to lose (something) for a short time by forgetting where you put it
: to direct (a feeling, such as trust or confidence) toward someone or something that does not deserve it