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
I instantly turned away, lest he should see and misconstrue my emotion.—Anne Brontë
2
: to misinterpret the meaning, intention, or character of (someone)
… it is the post-Vietnam revisionists who have most ironically misconstrued [Herman] Melville.—Frederick Crews
… a sad sack whom no one would misconstrue as charming.—Karen Karbo
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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