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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Also consider that something could be misrepresented in this situation or another before January comes to a close.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Jan. 2026
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Homeowners sometimes sue insurers for allegedly misrepresenting the extent of their coverage.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Distilling the truth from the limited number of documents created by Friend and the often exaggerated or distorted tales recorded by others can be challenging.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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And in that capacity to transform the very conditions that distort leadership, the path forward becomes unmistakably clear.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
21 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 researchers now aim to refine the mathematical framework and identify clearer observational signatures that could confirm—or falsify—the picture.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Jan. 2026
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After Mario left, the school was hit with NCAA sanctions in 1995 following a Pell Grant scandal in which an academic advisor falsified financial aid for more than 50 players.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 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 23 Jan. 2026.
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