MISDIRECTION Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

misdirection

noun

Definition of misdirection

as in mismanagement

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 misdirection But online and during public comments at Thursday’s Lake County Stormwater Management Commission meeting, some data center opponents framed the withdrawal as a misdirection, warning of the environmental dangers still posed by the development. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Mannion’s initial installations of motions and misdirection plays have been effective from my vantage point in team drills — not red flags in need of refinement. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 But the more sinister aspects ultimately turn out to be deliberate misdirection in this tale of two men who find each other in the remote Faroe Islands of the mid-19th century. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Despite gridlocked traffic near the first two closure scenes in southwest Atlanta and some miscommunication and misdirection with trucks using side streets, Atlanta has braced itself handily so far. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for misdirection

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misdirection

Noun

The contest for the contract worth upwards of $700 million intensified after the advocacy group Common Ground and whistleblowers accused Veolia of mismanagement.

— Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2026
That observation grew into a 15-month Sun Sentinel investigation that exposed widespread fraud and mismanagement in FEMA disaster aid across the country.

— Sally Kestin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of mismanagement

Noun

The bill was ushered through the state General Assembly after the discovery of extensive mishandling of bodies at a Carlinville funeral home, where at least 80 families were given the wrong remains.

— Casey Toner, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Welch has described his mishandling of this matter as a systemic failure.

— David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of mishandling

Noun

The Kawhi Leonard deal, and the financial malfeasance that came with it, has crippled the franchise.

— Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
During his absence, Haiti’s transitional authorities adopted a controversial decree shielding senior government officials accused of malfeasance and other crimes committed while in office from prosecution in the country’s regular courts.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of malfeasance

Noun

Washington’s preoccupation with its own domestic politics, inattention to the region’s nuances, and inflated fears of Chinese and Russian advances all made the United States an easy mark for manipulative local powers.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
In sports, mind-wandering is often seen as negative because inattention at a crucial moment can lead to disaster.

— Eric Zillmer, Scientific American, 26 June 2026

Definition of inattention

Noun

The fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement of bankrupt Hawthorne Race Course President Tim Carey was the immediate cause of death.

— Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
The most probable path remains the baseline he’s been describing since last fall — debt grinding steadily higher, periodically goosed by crises or political irresponsibility, but partially offset by technological progress and labor force growth.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 May 2026

Definition of irresponsibility

Noun

Occasional forgetfulness—like misplacing items or struggling to recall a word—is a normal part of aging, especially if the information eventually comes back.

— Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026
O'Hara said years later, children were still badgering her about her forgetfulness.

— Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of forgetfulness

Browse Nearby Words

misdirected

misdirection

misdoer

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Misdirection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misdirection. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of misdirection

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

facsimile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes