Definition of misgovernnext
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misgovern
Verb
  • 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
  • Even after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in 2024, the Israeli military has been striking Lebanon on a near-daily basis, accusing Hezbollah of violating the agreement by rearming and rebuilding its forces.
    Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Improper disclosure may violate privacy expectations and potentially expose the association to liability.
    Peter S. Sachs, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In Iran, multiple rounds of explosions were reported in Tehran, while patients were evacuated from a hospital in the north of the city on Sunday after it was badly damaged, according to Iranian state media.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
  • As a bonus, those seasons are ideal for planting a replacement shrub or re-establishing a lawn if it is damaged during the shrub removal.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • These violent online groups have allegedly abused hundreds of mostly female minor victims worldwide, according to Homeland Security Investigations.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Giuffre Roberts became a lightning rod to many people who said they'd been abused or trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Misgovern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misgovern. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

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