1
as in wrongdoing
improper or illegal behavior
some rough play got the hockey player fined for misconduct on the ice
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in adultery
a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
both parties cited misconduct as the reason for the divorce
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to abuse
to manage badly
misconducted the polar expedition and paid for his mistakes with his life
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misconduct
Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
In a pending lawsuit, Jennifer Caneiro’s family had also accused Paul Caneiro of other allegations of financial misconduct.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Russell is charged with both abuse of residents in penal facilities and misconduct in public office.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Here in the Olympic tournament, as per IIHF rules, each fighter gets a major plus a game misconduct penalty.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
Noun
The court determined that BNY’s involvement was limited to routine correspondent banking and lacked the direct connection to Epstein’s misconduct found in the Bank of America allegations.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
In a pending lawsuit, Jennifer Caneiro’s family had also accused Paul Caneiro of other allegations of financial misconduct.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Russell is charged with both abuse of residents in penal facilities and misconduct in public office.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Here in the Olympic tournament, as per IIHF rules, each fighter gets a major plus a game misconduct penalty.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misconduct
Noun
-
Trump, former President Bill Clinton and others are mentioned in the files without credible accusations of wrongdoing.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The files referenced by Khanna and reviewed by CBS News — which have now been partially un-redacted to reveal the six names — do not appear to directly implicate the six men in any crimes, and Khanna did not allege any specific criminal wrongdoing.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Advertisement Both Paxton’s baggage and his history of using his office to troll Democrats is a central feature in the Republican primary, which has devolved into a barrage of personal attacks of betrayal, adultery, and corruption.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the Senate, denied the adultery allegations.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Construction is set to begin on a new center in Morgan Hill for abused and neglected children and their families next month.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Once installed, NexShield immediately starts abusing Chrome or Edge in the background.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An honor council, comprised of administrators, teachers, and members of the student government, would sit in judgment on cases of alleged cheating.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the wake of the cheating, FIS has modified its rules and brought in a coordinator to oversee screening of gear and hired former Austrian ski jumper Mathias Hafele to work as equipment expert.—
Brian Melley,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Overall, European leaders’ positive reception of Rubio’s speech reflected how horrifically damaged the transatlantic relationship has been by the past year of turmoil over Ukraine, and month of arson over Greenland.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This violates the 4th Amendment, which protects people (including noncitizens) from unreasonable searches and seizures in their homes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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But a spokesperson for Kelly said the governor has deep concerns that SB 387 could jeopardize Kansas’ $250 million in federal school meal funding and potentially violate the Legislature’s school funding obligations set by the Kansas Supreme Court.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But a ruling class that systematically blinds itself to the most profound longings of human beings will misunderstand and misgovern those under its sway.—
Benjamin and Jenna Storey,
WSJ,
12 Oct. 2021
Verb
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The power grid— privatized, mismanaged, and politically entangled—fails with alarming regularity.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Her ability to mismanage several things at once is truly remarkable.—
John Phillips,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misconduct. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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