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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 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
  • Democrats in Congress have also sought to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to violate the public's constitutional rights in its enforcement actions.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • DraftKings might also argue that a temporary restraining order is unwarranted since if the company has violated the NCAA’s marks, a court could later empirically assess damages and issue monetary damages.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For Bob Work, the big red flag came with reports that Iran appeared to have damaged two half-billion-dollar radar installations at the outset of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Rescue workers said the direct hit in Arad caused widespread damage across at least 10 apartment buildings, three of them badly damaged and in danger of collapsing.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The three men claimed that the two-time Academy Award-winning star abused them at times between 2000 and 2013.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Animals deserve to be protected and cherished, never abused or neglected.
    Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 23 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misgovern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misgovern. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster