as in to misunderstand
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
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Recent Examples of misconstrue
Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition.
—
Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
The company’s current owners maintain its work has been misconstrued and that the charges against its former executives were unjustified.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
The company’s current owners maintain its work has been misconstrued and that the charges against its former executives were unjustified.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misconstrue
Verb
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Eastern diamondbacks face habitat loss and can be targeted by people who misunderstand or fear them, says the FWC.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Many organizations misunderstand conflict entirely.—
Terina Allen,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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At a high level, however, data can get misinterpreted.—
Subha Barry,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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But some misinterpreted the meme as a threat against Perry County High School, located in Linden, Tennessee, where sheriff's deputies later took Bushart into custody.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Arzuaga’s blast to center was misread and erred on to score two.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Two of these stand out because both tend to attract social friction and are routinely misread.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misconstrue. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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