as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
you've misapplied the theorem to certain problems that require a different formula kids who misapply their boundless energy and get into trouble
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Recent Examples of misapply
Without adjusting, companies will misapply probabilistic tools to deterministic problems and misinterpret their outcomes.
—
Richie Etwaru, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But sometimes people misapply the word tradition to things that are simply obsolete.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Our biased admiration for good fathers is misapplied to a species, such as the bald eagle, in which biparental care is the rule.
—Time, 17 June 2023
First, if a bull market means to you that stocks are trending unequivocally upward, then, no, the bull market label is being misapplied right now.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 16 June 2023
Democrats in Tallahassee say the program isn’t just bad policy, it was misapplied to move migrants from Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
O'Shea said the study's findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied since its publication.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
Ioniţă still has both qualities in equal measure, but they were sorely misapplied in his performance of Dvořák’s cello concerto.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
But laser projectors are still vulnerable to errors of neglect — i.e., dead bugs and misapplied 3-D lenses — and can introduce problems of their own, including a tendency toward green and magenta highlights.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2023
Richie Etwaru, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But sometimes people misapply the word tradition to things that are simply obsolete.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Our biased admiration for good fathers is misapplied to a species, such as the bald eagle, in which biparental care is the rule.
—Time, 17 June 2023
First, if a bull market means to you that stocks are trending unequivocally upward, then, no, the bull market label is being misapplied right now.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 16 June 2023
Democrats in Tallahassee say the program isn’t just bad policy, it was misapplied to move migrants from Texas.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
O'Shea said the study's findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied since its publication.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 2 June 2023
Ioniţă still has both qualities in equal measure, but they were sorely misapplied in his performance of Dvořák’s cello concerto.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
But laser projectors are still vulnerable to errors of neglect — i.e., dead bugs and misapplied 3-D lenses — and can introduce problems of their own, including a tendency toward green and magenta highlights.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misapply
Verb
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Denver’s previous vendor, Flock Safety, misused data, and that contract was terminated.—
Michael Hancock,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents for millions, accusing them of misusing his money.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The officer laughed and explained that someone had called in a report about a canine possibly being abused or in need of emergency veterinary care due to the noise.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misapply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misapply. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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