as in incorrectly
in a mistaken or inappropriate way
the manufacturer's warranty is no longer valid if the appliance is used improperly
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Recent Examples of improperly
After Sweden accused Canada of double-touching stones on Friday, igniting a global controversy, Canadian curler Marc Kennedy leveled allegations against the Swedes of improperly filming his delivery.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
The newspaper found a judge who improperly threatened to call immigration authorities on a defendant in his courtroom and a court that illegally used contempt of court to dramatically inflate jail sentences for poor and unhoused individuals.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
The Sunday afternoon blast in a village in Jiangsu province was caused by a resident setting off fireworks improperly near the store, the Donghai county government said in a statement.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Thompson's father pleaded guilty in 2024 to improperly storing his handgun that authorities said was found when his son was arrested.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
According to court documents, Worden falsely accused her astronaut ex-wife, Anne McClain, of guessing the password to her bank account and improperly accessing it from the space station while the two were going through a divorce.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Frozen meats were improperly thawing at room temperature below the prep table.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
february 13, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
According to a preliminary investigation, King was riding a 2005 Suzuki southbound on Missouri 291 at high speeds and was improperly passing two other vehicles, Mulch said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
Criminal cases against Comey and James were tossed out last year after a judge found the government lawyer who brought the case, Lindsey Halligan, was improperly appointed.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
The newspaper found a judge who improperly threatened to call immigration authorities on a defendant in his courtroom and a court that illegally used contempt of court to dramatically inflate jail sentences for poor and unhoused individuals.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
The Sunday afternoon blast in a village in Jiangsu province was caused by a resident setting off fireworks improperly near the store, the Donghai county government said in a statement.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Thompson's father pleaded guilty in 2024 to improperly storing his handgun that authorities said was found when his son was arrested.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
According to court documents, Worden falsely accused her astronaut ex-wife, Anne McClain, of guessing the password to her bank account and improperly accessing it from the space station while the two were going through a divorce.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Frozen meats were improperly thawing at room temperature below the prep table.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
february 13, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
According to a preliminary investigation, King was riding a 2005 Suzuki southbound on Missouri 291 at high speeds and was improperly passing two other vehicles, Mulch said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
Criminal cases against Comey and James were tossed out last year after a judge found the government lawyer who brought the case, Lindsey Halligan, was improperly appointed.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improperly
Adverb
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Amid communication snafus, some residents were incorrectly told their lights were back on.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Missing a filing deadline, incorrectly valuing an asset or failing to list a creditor could result in your case being dismissed or losing property.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Popular with educators and computer hobbyists, the low-cost machines are now being sought for running AI agents like OpenClaw, as a safer alternative to a user’s main device, or the cloud, where agents could wreak havoc by, say, mistakenly wiping your entire drive.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The Salvadoran national’s case has become a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to his home country last year.—
Travis Loller,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The White House initially did not dispute that Trump made the post and defended it, before a White House official told USA TODAY that a staffer had erroneously made the post, which was then taken down.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
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After calls for its removal -- including by Republicans -- the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously.—
BILL BARROW,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Pizzi went on to say Pembroke Park Town Manager David Lynch acted inappropriately to get a second opinion from a lawyer besides the city attorney on removing Jacobs’ from office.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
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The robotaxi chauffeurs teens around Phoenix and Los Angeles without concerns of a driver becoming distracted or acting inappropriately.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improperly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improperly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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