as in incorrectly
in a mistaken or inappropriate way
the manufacturer's warranty is no longer valid if the appliance is used improperly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of improperly
Krystal warns that people using ketamine for therapy outside of clinics often improperly administer it.
—
Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
But voting rights groups and some election officials are voicing concerns that eligible voters could face barriers to casting ballots or be improperly removed from the rolls if states over-rely on incomplete information from SAVE.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Close relatives of the federal official who has accused a Federal Reserve governor of improperly claiming primary residence on two properties have declared the same status on two homes in two different states, public records show.
—Marisa Taylor, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body responds improperly to an infection.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Even the best equipment, when improperly sized or installed, will underperform.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The state improperly billed for services such as mental health and addiction services, prescription drugs and dental care.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
Sausage that had been cooked more than three hours before the inspection was improperly cooling in a deep container with a lid.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The state improperly billed for services such as mental health and addiction services, prescription drugs and dental care.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
But voting rights groups and some election officials are voicing concerns that eligible voters could face barriers to casting ballots or be improperly removed from the rolls if states over-rely on incomplete information from SAVE.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Close relatives of the federal official who has accused a Federal Reserve governor of improperly claiming primary residence on two properties have declared the same status on two homes in two different states, public records show.
—Marisa Taylor, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body responds improperly to an infection.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Even the best equipment, when improperly sized or installed, will underperform.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The state improperly billed for services such as mental health and addiction services, prescription drugs and dental care.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
Sausage that had been cooked more than three hours before the inspection was improperly cooling in a deep container with a lid.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The state improperly billed for services such as mental health and addiction services, prescription drugs and dental care.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improperly
Adverb
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Biologists attempting to diagnose a wild moose based on the visible clinical signs alone could easily confuse these two parasites and incorrectly conclude which parasite may have caused the disease.—
Jessie Richards,
The Conversation,
12 Sep. 2025
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The department’s computer dispatch system incorrectly auto-populated the address of the caller’s home, prompting officers to respond to the neighbor’s house, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Following the shooting at a Utah university, 4chan mistakenly identified Skye Valadez as the gunman who killed Kirk, who leaves behind a wife and two young children.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Many leaders mistakenly assume blockchain transactions are private and end-to-end encrypted, when the opposite is true.—
Josh Hawkins,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Some content creators on platforms including YouTube and TikTok mentioned Dahle’s plea agreement in videos, but also erroneously pointed to the judge as the source of the agreement.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Sep. 2025
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While beauty is generally associated erroneously with external physical factors, a balanced state of mind and a healthy body play a huge part in imparting the necessary boost that the body needs to shine and glow.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The charges stemmed from the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ethics’ 2020 finding that Tran inappropriately used his Senate staff to conduct campaign activities.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
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Social media erupted with criticism, accusing the outlet of reacting inappropriately to the tragedy.—
Amanda Castro
Gabe Whisnant
Anna Commander
Toby Meyjes
Shane Croucher
John Feng
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Improperly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improperly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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