misdirected

adjective

as in misguided

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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 misdirected Dan Kejsefman, Talent Director at Avature, describes it as misdirected effort fueled by anxiety. — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 The turban’s high visibility leaves Sikh men uniquely vulnerable to misdirected Islamophobic attacks, according to the American Bar Association. — Susie Neilson, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026 The novelist Naomi Alderman recently wrote about how the thing that keeps drawing us back to our phones is actually a misdirected desire to learn. — Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026 Everyone in the book suffers from unreturned or misdirected love. — Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 Even with smart investing, without the right systems in place to transfer this wealth, wealth that took generations to build can be lost, misdirected, or fumbled entirely. — Essence, 14 Jan. 2026 Weiss' defenders have blasted the show's staff as insubordinate and misdirected. — Arkansas Online, 26 Dec. 2025 Sponsor is not responsible for any lost, late, misdirected, illegible, incomplete, mutilated, postage due or mechanically reproduced Entries or Entries that have been tampered with or not obtained through legitimate channels, all of which will be disqualified. — Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025 Excessive and misdirected use of artificial light is more common in cities and can have a huge effect on the visibility of the night sky, particularly for those stargazers who are looking to observe faint deep sky objects with some of the best telescopes. — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misdirected
  1. misguided
  2. ineffective
  3. careless
  4. ill-advised
Adjective
  • Stronger, more detailed laws are essential to ensure diligent human review, prevent complacency, and protect individuals from potentially misguided AI guidance, fostering accountability in this evolving field.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • All of it was painfully misguided, as though the host nation were actively trying to self-mythologize instead of just hosting.
    — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of misguided
Adjective
  • Moore is the weakest, most ineffective governor Maryland has ever had, and residents are paying the price.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
  • New state-level AI laws face significant enforcement challenges, rendering many ineffective.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ineffective
Adjective
  • That said, a pattern of careless errors or intentionally misleading claims are more likely to accrue penalties.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • Trost has a past conviction of reckless driving and a lengthy history of civil traffic infractions, including careless driving, speeding, running a stop sign and running a red light, court records show.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of careless
Adjective
  • However, long-term makeup storage is ill-advised.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
  • Of all the Yellowstone spinoffs, Dutton Ranch feels like the most can’t-miss — and maybe also the most ill-advised.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Definition of ill-advised

Browse Nearby Words

misdiagnosing
misdirected
misdirection
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Cite this Entry

“Misdirected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misdirected. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on misdirected

Nglish: Translation of misdirected for Spanish Speakers

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