misdirect

verb

mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt How to pronounce misdirect (audio)
-(ˌ)dī-
misdirected; misdirecting; misdirects

transitive verb

1
: to give a wrong direction to
2
: to direct wrongly
misdirected their energies

Examples of misdirect in a Sentence

Their mail was misdirected to our address. If he tells you he's not interested, he's trying to misdirect you.
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.
Paper refund checks are 16 times more likely to have an issue, according to Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, like being lost, misdirected, undelivered ,stolen or uncashed.. — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025 These attacks are somewhat misdirected: Hollywood hiring practices are the issue, not the Oscars, which since the turn of the century have been increasingly representative. — Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025 These problems – economic inequality and loss of opportunity – were caused by the free market’s response to the lack of government action, or insufficient or misdirected action. — Joseph P. Tomain, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2025 According to the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, paper refund checks sent by mail are 16 times more likely to have an issue—including getting lost, being misdirected, stolen or uncashed. — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misdirect

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdirect was in 1603

Rhymes for misdirect

See All Rhymes for misdirect

Browse Nearby Words

misdirect
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misdirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdirect. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

misdirect

verb
mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt How to pronounce misdirect (audio)
-(ˌ)dī-
: to direct incorrectly
misdirection
-ˈrek-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misdirect

Nglish: Translation of misdirect for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All