construe

Definition of construenext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of construe Not always something that might be construed as logical, or that might convince a jury that they have been gravely violated. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025 Thus, Smith certainly isn’t surprised that the audience is construing the show as anti-AI, but the Pluribus brain trust would prefer not to undercut the overall viewing experience by explicitly defining it one way or another. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025 The justices circumscribed the authority of congressional committees and state legislatures to question witnesses, narrowly construed the statute used to prosecute seditious speech, and restrained the ability of federal agencies to terminate employees. Time, 14 Nov. 2025 But to the other, this is often construed as coldness or indifference. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for construe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for construe
Verb
  • But interpreting this statistic has become more complicated with the crackdown on immigrants.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
  • But phones are still popping up at lunch time and between classes, and even during classes, as some teachers have interpreted this leniency differently than others, Raatz said.
    Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • While the companies have not clarified where locations will be closing, financial constraints have pushed them to reduce their national footprint.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Jan. 2026
  • After the Variety story was published, Grande clarified her comments regarding new music in a comment on a fan account's Instagram post about the interview.
    Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Recent reassessments in parts of West Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Englewood illustrate a broader problem, with increases that go far beyond routine market movement.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Advertisement No country illustrates the region’s dilemma better than Brazil, Latin America’s largest democracy.
    Oliver Stuenkel, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Mel explained that Chris was impressed by the move, and the two went for a run and had dinner together the next day.
    Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
  • In an interview with Entertainment Weekly's sister publication, PEOPLE, makeup artist Nick Barose explained his inspiration for creating Madigan's glam for the evening.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The new technology described in the study demonstrates the incredible potential of combining classic engineering principles (like the Tesla turbine) with modern materials science to address long-standing industrial challenges.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Earlier protests demonstrated many Iranians’ opposition to the theocracy’s hard-line ideology, its insistence on the hijab, its control of media and education, its general brutality.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Haidt, who previously explicated many of his thoughts about Gen Z in the New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation, used a powerful metaphor to explain the neurological consequences of this change: tree roots.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Steeped in modern Japanese history without explicating it, director Sang-il Lee’s feature is propelled by operatic intensity and visual poetry.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For political wives, the inauguration coat is an agenda-setter – the first statement on how someone who may or may not have aspired to be a public symbol will navigate the always-tricky, often exasperating act of using clothes to elucidate or complement her husband’s administration.
    Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
  • The filmmaker restricts herself almost entirely to police body cam and dash cam video to elucidate an awful crime – the killing of a Black woman, 35-year-old mother of four Ajike Owens, who was shot to death by her neighbor, a 58-year-old white woman named Susan Lorincz.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Construe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/construe. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on construe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!