as in misunderstood
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
claimed that the press had misconstrued her comments
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Recent Examples of misconstrued
Prior to the Board’s decision, several Skokie residents came to the defense of Johnson, arguing that their previous advocacy efforts for the village have long been misconstrued.
—
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition.
—Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Brown said there have been things misconstrued about the team’s decision, but the Ravens won’t comment on them publicly.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The company’s current owners maintain its work has been misconstrued and that the charges against its former executives were unjustified.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
According to The Hollywood Reporter, stars including Tom Brady, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Costner, Alix Earle, Orlando Bloom, and Mark Wahlberg attended the starry celebration—and per sources, Alba and Burrow’s interaction may have been misconstrued.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026
Showing leadership is a good way to build alliances, but if misconstrued for over-confidence, the whole group could turn on you.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition.
—Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of issues are ignored or misconstrued because people are not presented with enough facts.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Trump later denied comparing himself to Jesus, arguing that the image was being misconstrued and that he was actually depicted as a doctor.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Brown said there have been things misconstrued about the team’s decision, but the Ravens won’t comment on them publicly.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The company’s current owners maintain its work has been misconstrued and that the charges against its former executives were unjustified.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
According to The Hollywood Reporter, stars including Tom Brady, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Costner, Alix Earle, Orlando Bloom, and Mark Wahlberg attended the starry celebration—and per sources, Alba and Burrow’s interaction may have been misconstrued.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026
Showing leadership is a good way to build alliances, but if misconstrued for over-confidence, the whole group could turn on you.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misconstrued
Verb
-
In response to questions about the Mizuho analyst’s conclusions, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block told Fortune by email that the analyst had misunderstood its findings.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Put the agreement in simple terms so nothing gets misinterpreted.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Keep your messages direct so nothing gets misinterpreted.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Engen compounded that mistake by misreading a back-pass from teammate Lindsey Heaps in the 83rd minute.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Those who identify Elise as Malfatti contend that Nohl simply misread Beethoven’s handwriting of the name Therese.—
Brian Duignan,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misconstrued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misconstrued. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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