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misconstrue

verb

ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü How to pronounce misconstrue (audio)
Definition of misconstruenext
as in to misunderstand
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of misconstrue Sanchez said that the ruling had been intentionally misconstrued by migrant smugglers to convince thousands of people to cross by swimming around the border fence. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Sánchez said that the ruling had been intentionally misconstrued by migrant smugglers to persuade thousands of people to swim around the border fence. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Sherman misconstrued my letter. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026 Over 50 people, including Churchill’s grandson, signed a letter saying Cammock had misconstrued the facts in her video. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misconstrue
  1. misunderstand
  2. misinterpret
  3. misread
Verb
  • And yet, many companies today still fundamentally misunderstand how to apply lean to their own operations.
    — Joe Perkins, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Mercury opposes elusive Neptune, making deadlines, availability, or expectations easier to misunderstand.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of misunderstand
Verb
  • Asynchronous communication can easily be misinterpreted, allowing for not only confusion but often confrontation.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But in my experience, if used on its own to diagnose, it can be easily misinterpreted.
    — Andrew McLean, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of misinterpret
Verb
  • What officials misread back then was the source of that inflation.
    — Kelly Evans, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Digital communication removes tone, context and immediate feedback, making silence easy to misread as agreement.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of misread

Browse Nearby Words

misconstructions
misconstrue
misconstrued
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Cite this Entry

“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misconstrue. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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