transitive verb

1
: to read incorrectly
2
: to misinterpret in or as if in reading
totally misread the lesson of history Christopher Hollis

Examples of misread in a Sentence

I guess I misread the instructions. They have misread the lessons of the past. Politicians may have misread the mood of the public. I badly misread the situation.
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.
Read: How Netanyahu misread his relationship with Trump Netanyahu was prime minister for 13 of the 14 years before October 7. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025 The federal government says the Texas plaintiffs are misreading the law in a way that would disrupt the nuclear power industry, which supplies about one-fifth of the nation’s electricity. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025 The military's main findings were that the region's most powerful and sophisticated military misread Hamas' intentions, underestimated its capabilities and was wholly unprepared for the surprise attack by thousands of heavily armed militants in the early morning hours of a major Jewish holiday. Mohammad Jahjouh, Wafaa Shurafa, Natalie Melzer and Tia Goldenberg The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025 Nissan misread demand for hybrids in the United States, Uchida told a press conference. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for misread

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misread was in 1658

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Cite this Entry

“Misread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misread. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

1
: to read incorrectly
2
: to misinterpret in or as if in reading

More from Merriam-Webster on misread

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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