as in to misstate
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Recent Examples of misspeak
The health secretary also appeared to misspeak at the meeting, saying two people had died of the disease.
—
Devi Shastri and Amanda Seitz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Kennedy also seemed to misspeak in saying two people had died of measles.
—Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
These leaders don’t merely lie or misspeak or make light of life and death.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
Walz was criticized following the Oct. 1 debate for flubbing an answer about allegedly misspeaking about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
The Kremlin’s propaganda often uses instances of Biden misspeaking as proof of his ineptitude as the man in charge of Ukraine’s top military backer.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 July 2024
Elsewhere, Claude and Angot’s mother, who had Christine out of wedlock and fought to get her father to recognize his child in a legal sense, are both similarly upbraided for misspeaking about Christine’s trauma in subtle ways, or for not being sympathetic in the right way.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
People are just supposed to like you — you’re not supposed to misspeak, look fat, date the wrong person, have your makeup look a different color.
—Elias Leight, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2022
Devi Shastri and Amanda Seitz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Kennedy also seemed to misspeak in saying two people had died of measles.
—Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
These leaders don’t merely lie or misspeak or make light of life and death.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
Walz was criticized following the Oct. 1 debate for flubbing an answer about allegedly misspeaking about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
The Kremlin’s propaganda often uses instances of Biden misspeaking as proof of his ineptitude as the man in charge of Ukraine’s top military backer.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 July 2024
Elsewhere, Claude and Angot’s mother, who had Christine out of wedlock and fought to get her father to recognize his child in a legal sense, are both similarly upbraided for misspeaking about Christine’s trauma in subtle ways, or for not being sympathetic in the right way.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
People are just supposed to like you — you’re not supposed to misspeak, look fat, date the wrong person, have your makeup look a different color.
—Elias Leight, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspeak
Verb
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An earlier version misstated the firm’s name.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
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The article misstated the size of Kaiser Permanente's new Parker offices.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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It can so easily be misinterpreted and presents a challenge for both the neurodivergent person and the neurotypical.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
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Allegations that are now spreading online could be misinterpreting records or exaggerating minor issues — or could be exposing actual fraudulent activity.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Under federal law, companies can’t misrepresent warranty terms or obstruct claims.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Following a misleading report on hospital finances, The Denver Post published an editorial that misrepresents UCHealth’s role in caring for Colorado patients and misstates key facts about our financial operations.—
Elizabeth B. Concordia,
Denver Post,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This is why the contestants sound distorted when talking during the show.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Freedom from want mattered because deprivation distorts judgment.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Limits of Expansion Since mathematicians began studying expander graphs in the 1960s, they’ve been used to model the brain (opens a new tab), perform statistical analyses, and build error-correcting codes — encrypted messages that can be read even if they get garbled in transmission.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
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SecNav’s just a big fan, and that message got garbled in a chain-of-command game of telephone.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The trio were indicted in May and accused of falsifying loan applications to get federal pandemic relief funds and money meant for Brown’s nonprofit that was spent on a lavish birthday party and Louis Vuitton items.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
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Other reports of fraud and mismanagement The watchdog also found that a former CPS program manager repeatedly falsified federal grant applications over the course of a year by submitting fake enrollment data.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To ensure that the chicken is fully cooked, tear the thickest part in half; if any part is still raw, continue cooking it until done.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
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Two months after the fires, someone from the Colony ghost kitchens offered a space to start cooking again, and a break on the rent.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Among the interested parties were shipbreakers planning to dissemble the vessel for scrap metal, according to Saw.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
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Authorities were forced to dissemble the back deck in order to rescue some of the pups that were beneath, according to the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, who assisted with the efforts.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misspeak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspeak. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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