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
However, Minhaj disputed their claims, stating that the accusations published in the story were misconstrued.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek went viral this week for what appeared to be tension captured on video, but a source tells PEOPLE exclusively that the incident has been misconstrued.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024
Beckham noted that while the accessibility of designers at smaller brands often lends itself to custom work compared to heritage brands, that accessibility can also sometimes be misconstrued.
—Kristen Tauer, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
Conversations like this can be awkward and, if approached incorrectly, may even be misconstrued as a sign of infidelity or mistrust.
—James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misconstrue 
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Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Nicole Kidman and Salma Hayek went viral this week for what appeared to be tension captured on video, but a source tells PEOPLE exclusively that the incident has been misconstrued.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024
Beckham noted that while the accessibility of designers at smaller brands often lends itself to custom work compared to heritage brands, that accessibility can also sometimes be misconstrued.
—Kristen Tauer, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
Conversations like this can be awkward and, if approached incorrectly, may even be misconstrued as a sign of infidelity or mistrust.
—James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misconstrue
Dictionary Entries Near misconstrue
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconstrue. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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