as in to misconduct
to manage badly
the ruling party was soundly defeated at the polls for having disastrously misgoverned the country
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Recent Examples of misgovern
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
Benjamin and Jenna Storey, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misgovern
Verb
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But given the agency’s track record of withholding information, mismanaging funds and failing to comply with audit recommendations, assurances alone are not enough.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a letter last week demanding information about the project and accusing the state of mismanaging federal funds.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Werner said there is one charge, an accusation of participating in an encampment that disturbed university operations, which violates the faculty code of conduct.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
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The penalty for violating the speed limit depends on how fast the driver is going.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the plane ascended, someone threw a grenade at it, damaging a wing.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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One of the vehicles apparently also slammed into the rear of a parked silver BMW, damaging it, as well.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sweetin became sober in 2008 after abusing drugs and alcohol for over a decade and has become a public advocate for recovery from addiction.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Since then, Swalwell’s support among organized labor, congressional allies and campaign donors has evaporated in the week since liberal influencers began posting vague accusations that Swalwell abused female staff and teasing forthcoming investigative articles.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The result is a society that feels both rule-bound and misruled, saturated with laws and yet strangely lawless.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
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Congo had been brutally misruled by Belgium for over 70 years when the winds of change blew through in the late 1950s.—
Zachariah Mampilly,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Misgovern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misgovern. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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