misconstrue
verb
mis·con·strue
ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü 
misconstrued; misconstruing
1
: to interpret (something, such as a statement or action) wrongly : misinterpret
misconstrued her words/meaning/silence
He does not want his real name used in the newspaper because even the most innocent statement could be misconstrued here and lead to trouble, he says.—
Lynne Duke
Lynne DukeI instantly turned away, lest he should see and misconstrue my emotion.—Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë2
: to misinterpret the meaning, intention, or character of (someone)
… it is the post-Vietnam revisionists who have most ironically misconstrued [Herman] Melville.—Frederick Crews
Frederick Crews… a sad sack whom no one would misconstrue as charming.—Karen Karbo
Karen KarboExamples of misconstrue in a Sentence
claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
Recent Examples on the Web
Sherman misconstrued my letter.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty.
—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Over 50 people, including Churchill’s grandson, signed a letter saying Cammock had misconstrued the facts in her video.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
23 June 2026
Later, in the stadium, Amir Guerami from Westwood explained that many fans from the Southern California community wanted Iran to win but also wanted to make sure support of a team wasn’t misconstrued as support for the government.
—
Todd Harmonson,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
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Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty.
—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
29 June 2026
Over 50 people, including Churchill’s grandson, signed a letter saying Cammock had misconstrued the facts in her video.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
23 June 2026
Later, in the stadium, Amir Guerami from Westwood explained that many fans from the Southern California community wanted Iran to win but also wanted to make sure support of a team wasn’t misconstrued as support for the government.
—
Todd Harmonson,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconstrue
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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