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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of misapply
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
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
-
Your email is likely being misused as part of a larger fraud operation, not by accident but intentionally.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Campbell, head of Axim Fringe Solutions Group, was suspected of misusing client funds intended for health insurance and retirement benefits.—
Corina Vanek,
AZCentral.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The suit claims the city unconstitutionally abused its power by conspiring with for-profit tour operators and biased conservationists to deprive the owners’ vested rights.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Libraries and other places that offer services to abused rural women require architectural changes that preclude people from hearing survivors talk about their violent experiences.—
Walter S. DeKeseredy,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misapply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misapply. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share