as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
you've misapplied the theorem to certain problems that require a different formula kids who misapply their boundless energy and get into trouble
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Recent Examples of misapply
Without adjusting, companies will misapply probabilistic tools to deterministic problems and misinterpret their outcomes.
—
Richie Etwaru, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But sometimes people misapply the word tradition to things that are simply obsolete.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Our biased admiration for good fathers is misapplied to a species, such as the bald eagle, in which biparental care is the rule.
—Time, 17 June 2023
First, if a bull market means to you that stocks are trending unequivocally upward, then, no, the bull market label is being misapplied right now.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 16 June 2023
Democrats in Tallahassee say the program isn’t just bad policy, it was misapplied to move migrants from Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
O'Shea said the study's findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied since its publication.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
Ioniţă still has both qualities in equal measure, but they were sorely misapplied in his performance of Dvořák’s cello concerto.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
But laser projectors are still vulnerable to errors of neglect — i.e., dead bugs and misapplied 3-D lenses — and can introduce problems of their own, including a tendency toward green and magenta highlights.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2023
Richie Etwaru, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But sometimes people misapply the word tradition to things that are simply obsolete.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Our biased admiration for good fathers is misapplied to a species, such as the bald eagle, in which biparental care is the rule.
—Time, 17 June 2023
First, if a bull market means to you that stocks are trending unequivocally upward, then, no, the bull market label is being misapplied right now.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 16 June 2023
Democrats in Tallahassee say the program isn’t just bad policy, it was misapplied to move migrants from Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
O'Shea said the study's findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied since its publication.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
Ioniţă still has both qualities in equal measure, but they were sorely misapplied in his performance of Dvořák’s cello concerto.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
But laser projectors are still vulnerable to errors of neglect — i.e., dead bugs and misapplied 3-D lenses — and can introduce problems of their own, including a tendency toward green and magenta highlights.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misapply
Verb
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But on Capitol Hill, Republicans from the powerful Florida delegation — dominated by supporters of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado — are concerned that Rodríguez’s government will inevitably find a way to misuse the oil revenue.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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These services can alert you early if someone tries to open accounts or misuse your identity.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Kayode Agbolade Ogunba allegedly abused patients at a local care home.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The victim-survivor in this case was not the only child Weberman abused.—
Guila Benchimol,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misapply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misapply. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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