mistime

verb

mis·​time ˌmis-ˈtīm 

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

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

With halftime approaching, rookie defender Cate Hardin mistimed a challenge on Summit forward Ally Brazier inside the box, conceding a penalty. — ABC News, 12 July 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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mistime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime

Kids Definition

mistime

verb

mis·​time

(ˈ)mis-ˈtīm

: to time wrongly