as in anarchy
a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority
the country's long period of misrule left it in economic turmoil for over a decade
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to misconduct
to manage badly
accused of misruling his island nation to the point of economic collapse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misrule
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024
By granting Bangladesh a loan last year, the IMF only prolonged the misrule of Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
—Caleb Hofmann, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for misrule
Noun
Thanks to the regime’s misrule, Venezuela, once the richest country in South America, is now the poorest.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024
By granting Bangladesh a loan last year, the IMF only prolonged the misrule of Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
—Caleb Hofmann, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for misrule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misrule
Noun
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The film follows Amanda Aaltonen, a fiercely independent young woman with a spirit of anarchy and adventure.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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The vehement characters DiCaprio and Taylor inhabit end up having a daughter out of wedlock during a time where their society is on the brink of anarchy.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The biggest controversy surrounding Flock Safety centers around allegations that law enforcement agencies have abused the company's technology to target women, immigrants and people engaged in activity.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Ed Gein later told investigators he and his brother were abused by his father, who died in 1940 of heart failure.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
Verb
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At the same time, people familiar with the investigation told me that Khan has devoted much of his defense to convincing investigators that Israel and its allies are exploiting the accuser in order to damage him and the court.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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This common strain releases a toxin that can damage blood vessels in the intestines and kidneys, which can cause serious complications like kidney damage.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since then Russia is suspected of testing NATO’s resolve by violating the airspace of Norway, Romania, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and now Germany too.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Though Russian craft have repeatedly violated NATO airspace during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the shootdowns over Poland represented the first time NATO had shot down Russian drones.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misrule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misrule. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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