miscalculate

verb

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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
One possibility is that the militant group miscalculated the attention the strike would get from the international community. Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 30 July 2024 In June 2024, judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the judge in Julie Chrisley's 2022 trial miscalculated her sentence and did not find evidence proving her full involvement in the bank fraud scheme for which she was sentenced, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY. Kimi Robinson, The Courier-Journal, 26 Sep. 2024 How much of Swift’s success was him and how much was the line? Chicago Bears Q&A: Did GM Ryan Poles miscalculate the offensive line needs? Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2024 As a result, a remote smart parking assist feature that miscalculates stopping distances may increase the risk of a crash, the report said. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near miscalculate

Cite this Entry

“Miscalculate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miscalculate. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on miscalculate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!