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 KarboSynonyms
Examples of misconstrue in a Sentence
claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
Recent Examples on the Web
The state claimed the eligibility requirement had been misconstrued and that Gonzales’ threat level was not limited to his behavior while behind bars.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 27 June 2024
The state of Texas has opposed Gonzales’ appeals, arguing in part his team had misconstrued the eligibility requirement and contending the question of whether Gonzales would continue to be a threat is not limited to the inmate’s behavior on death row.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 26 June 2024
Life Extending Descartes to Embody Our Social Rational Souls
Descartes’ solitary, inward-facing mindset misconstrues the social nature of our thinking.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Moreover, public discussions of troop numbers can be misconstrued as caps, which can in turn be interpreted as a limited U.S. commitment.
—Loren Dejonge Schulman, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for misconstrue 
Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 27 June 2024
The state of Texas has opposed Gonzales’ appeals, arguing in part his team had misconstrued the eligibility requirement and contending the question of whether Gonzales would continue to be a threat is not limited to the inmate’s behavior on death row.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 26 June 2024
Life Extending Descartes to Embody Our Social Rational Souls
Descartes’ solitary, inward-facing mindset misconstrues the social nature of our thinking.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Moreover, public discussions of troop numbers can be misconstrued as caps, which can in turn be interpreted as a limited U.S. commitment.
—Loren Dejonge Schulman, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for misconstrue
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misconstrue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near misconstrue
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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