1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
the sordid misdoings of the city councilman were exposed as a result of an intense investigation by the local newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrongdoing
improper or illegal behavior
kept a watchful eye for any misdoing by the members of the clergy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of misdoing
When Whitney accuses her of lying to cover up her misdoings, everything explodes.
—
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Certainly in the reign of J. Edgar Hoover, the role of the bureaucracy, and Hoover’s role actually, was more often to aid Presidents in their misdoings, amid some of his own.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2019
An American journalist seeking to write about the rich celebrities instead learns about financial, political and treasonous misdoings – even murder.
—Carole Goldberg, courant.com, 3 July 2019
Yet, the very reality of 2018 is that Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Justice nomination pushed the seemingly consequence-free misdoings of those attending the country’s elite prep schools into the news cycle.
—Veronica Walsingham, Teen Vogue, 5 Oct. 2018
This is not the first time Facebook has had to publicly increase previous estimates of misdoings on its platform.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2018
South Korean politicians accused of misdoing often apologize for causing trouble while still denying wrongdoing.
—Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2018
All of the angst could have been avoided if not for some political misdoings.
—Joe Haakenson, Daily Pilot, 21 Dec. 2017
Reports about financial misdoings, the possible collapse of venerable institutions, rising unemployment caused by advanced technology — all of these affected the psychology of spending.
—Robert J. Shiller, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2016
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Certainly in the reign of J. Edgar Hoover, the role of the bureaucracy, and Hoover’s role actually, was more often to aid Presidents in their misdoings, amid some of his own.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2019
An American journalist seeking to write about the rich celebrities instead learns about financial, political and treasonous misdoings – even murder.
—Carole Goldberg, courant.com, 3 July 2019
Yet, the very reality of 2018 is that Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Justice nomination pushed the seemingly consequence-free misdoings of those attending the country’s elite prep schools into the news cycle.
—Veronica Walsingham, Teen Vogue, 5 Oct. 2018
This is not the first time Facebook has had to publicly increase previous estimates of misdoings on its platform.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2018
South Korean politicians accused of misdoing often apologize for causing trouble while still denying wrongdoing.
—Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2018
All of the angst could have been avoided if not for some political misdoings.
—Joe Haakenson, Daily Pilot, 21 Dec. 2017
Reports about financial misdoings, the possible collapse of venerable institutions, rising unemployment caused by advanced technology — all of these affected the psychology of spending.
—Robert J. Shiller, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misdoing
Noun
-
Violent crime dropped by nearly half from his first year as mayor to his last, according to LAPD and FBI-era data, and city leaders frequently touted LA’s turnaround compared with the 1990s.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?—
Bethany Brown,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But that didn’t happen, and now the build-up to the play-off final on May 23, the most lucrative game in football, is going to be dominated by discussions over whether Southampton should be thrown out if they are found guilty of wrongdoing.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
The newspaper has denied wrongdoing in ongoing litigation over the matter.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Kapoor, who had moved from Atlanta to Miami to attend college, faces 10 years or more in prison on the money-laundering and payroll-tax violations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
In 2020, longtime TCC instructor and program director Jeff McDonald sued the college for breach of contract, constitutional violations and deprivation of property interests without due process.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The timeline of the Andrew scandal has been heavily discussed, even before the disgraced former prince was arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 May 2026
-
In December, Hill pleaded guilty to state charges of misconduct, perjury and obstruction of justice and was put on probation.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Her chief lieutenants in this operation are Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill), who specialize in intimidation, surveillance, bribery, and other assorted sins.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
First-time filmmakers can usually be forgiven some of these sins, only most viewers might not realize that this is Luna’s fifth go in the director’s chair.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misdoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misdoing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
