mistimed; mistiming

transitive verb

1
: to time (something) wrongly or improperly
Sometimes players will mistime their entry into the zone—skating slightly ahead of the puck—and get whistled for offsides.—Jesse Granger
2
: to reckon or state the time of (something) incorrectly
Imboden … appears to confuse this early altercation with a later, more famous, instance. … It is possible that Imboden had completely mistimed the episode.—Frank E. Vandiver

Examples of mistime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nyamhuri celebrated his maiden five-wicket haul in the final over when Renshaw mistimed a shot on the leg-side and was caught at deep mid-wicket as Australia scored 66 runs in the final 10 overs. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 Wright mistimed his leap, and the ball got through to Lambert-Smith before bouncing off his hands. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 However, the Florida Gator mistimed her punch on her first pass, falling to the floor. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The outstanding Adam Wharton clipped a glorious pass into the penalty area, but an unmarked Tyrick Mitchell mistimed his header and could only direct the ball wide from close range. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistime

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistime was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mistime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistime. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

mistime

verb
mis·​time
(ˈ)mis-ˈtīm
: to time wrongly
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