misplace

verb

mis·​place ˌmis-ˈplās 

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

ˌmis-ˈplās-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of misplace

• lose
• forget
• miss

Examples of misplace in a Sentence

I seem to have misplaced my keys.

Recent Examples on the Web

The state of Iran’s economy suggests that calculation may not be misplaced. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

My mom is notorious for misplacing her credit cards, which can add a lot of stress while traveling. — Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026

Gu-cheon is arrogant, conspicuously misplaced in the palace hierarchy, and in some sneaky ways, dryly funny, in stark contrast to co-star Roh Yoon Seo’s more determined, earnest portrayal of court lady Saeng Gang. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The plaintiffs argue O’Leary’s focus on Kanter and Finlayson was misplaced. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for misplace

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

Kids Definition

misplace

verb

mis·​place (ˈ)mis-ˈplās 

1

: to put in a wrong place

2

: mislay

misplacement noun