miscalculate

verb

mis·​cal·​cu·​late ˌmis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce miscalculate (audio)
miscalculated; miscalculating
Synonyms of miscalculatenext

transitive + intransitive

: to calculate wrongly : to make a miscalculation
This fall, publishers badly miscalculated the public's appetite for celebrity tell-alls.Patrick M. Reilly
… the bosses simply weren't ready when it turned out they had miscalculated badly.Kevin Drum

Examples of miscalculate in a Sentence

they miscalculated how difficult the mountainous trek would be
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
According to prosecutors, Kroger initially miscalculated the calorie content of the products when they were introduced in 2021 and displayed incorrect calorie values on both FDA nutrition labels and front-of-package advertising. ABC News, 8 June 2026 Undeniably, Putin and associates miscalculated how easily Russia’s military would be able to occupy and take control of Ukraine, repeating Cold War successes. Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026 Worst of all, like Zoolander 2 did before it, the film badly miscalculates the value of showbiz and industry cameos, which reach critical mass when the team members fly to Milan and, weirdly, only one of the latter (Donatella Versace, having an awkward lunch with Emily) seems to work. Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026 Expert Hemant Bhargava cautions taxpayers to treat AI as a translator rather than a decision-maker, emphasizing that consumer AI systems frequently miscalculate liabilities and fail to securely handle highly sensitive financial data. Staff, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for miscalculate

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of miscalculate was in 1633

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Cite this Entry

“Miscalculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miscalculate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

miscalculate

verb
mis·​cal·​cu·​late
(ˈ)mis-ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt
: to calculate wrongly : make a mistake in calculation
miscalculation
ˌmis-ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən
noun

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