as in to misstate
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 misspeak
The health secretary also appeared to misspeak at the meeting, saying two people had died of the disease.
—
Devi Shastri and Amanda Seitz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Kennedy also seemed to misspeak in saying two people had died of measles.
—Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
These leaders don’t merely lie or misspeak or make light of life and death.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
Walz was criticized following the Oct. 1 debate for flubbing an answer about allegedly misspeaking about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
The Kremlin’s propaganda often uses instances of Biden misspeaking as proof of his ineptitude as the man in charge of Ukraine’s top military backer.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 July 2024
Elsewhere, Claude and Angot’s mother, who had Christine out of wedlock and fought to get her father to recognize his child in a legal sense, are both similarly upbraided for misspeaking about Christine’s trauma in subtle ways, or for not being sympathetic in the right way.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
People are just supposed to like you — you’re not supposed to misspeak, look fat, date the wrong person, have your makeup look a different color.
—Elias Leight, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2022
Devi Shastri and Amanda Seitz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Kennedy also seemed to misspeak in saying two people had died of measles.
—Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
These leaders don’t merely lie or misspeak or make light of life and death.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024
Walz was criticized following the Oct. 1 debate for flubbing an answer about allegedly misspeaking about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
The Kremlin’s propaganda often uses instances of Biden misspeaking as proof of his ineptitude as the man in charge of Ukraine’s top military backer.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 July 2024
Elsewhere, Claude and Angot’s mother, who had Christine out of wedlock and fought to get her father to recognize his child in a legal sense, are both similarly upbraided for misspeaking about Christine’s trauma in subtle ways, or for not being sympathetic in the right way.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
People are just supposed to like you — you’re not supposed to misspeak, look fat, date the wrong person, have your makeup look a different color.
—Elias Leight, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misspeak
Verb
-
An earlier version of this story misstated the amount.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Trump has repeatedly misstated the commission’s conclusions.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even kind gestures or neutral actions can be misinterpreted as hostile or manipulative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
That has often been misinterpreted as a cynical endorsement of warfare.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Conversely, overloading new hires with information, leaving them without guidance or misrepresenting the job can quickly erode excitement and lead to early and expensive turnover.—
Alyshia Hull,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
In his appeal though, obtained by PEOPLE, Guobadia argued that their November 2022 prenup was void because Williams allegedly misrepresented herself during negotiations by not disclosing her plans to return to RHOA.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the speakers broke up and distorted at this volume.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.—
Thasha Batts,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Limits of Expansion Since mathematicians began studying expander graphs in the 1960s, they’ve been used to model the brain (opens a new tab), perform statistical analyses, and build error-correcting codes — encrypted messages that can be read even if they get garbled in transmission.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
-
SecNav’s just a big fan, and that message got garbled in a chain-of-command game of telephone.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That’s the legal situation that resulted in the arrests of more than 50 individuals (including nine college coaches as well as actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman) accused of being involved in a scheme to falsify exam scores and bribe coaches for athletic admissions.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Last March, a jury convicted Amiri of deprivation of rights and falsifying records for unleashing his dog, Purcy, on a man during a traffic stop in Antioch, but acquitted him of conspiracy and other deprivation charges.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What if your old bottle of cooking oil could help save the planet and your smartphone?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Everything Jackman cooks is an invitation to see this region in its most delicious light.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Among the interested parties were shipbreakers planning to dissemble the vessel for scrap metal, according to Saw.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Authorities were forced to dissemble the back deck in order to rescue some of the pups that were beneath, according to the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, who assisted with the efforts.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misspeak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misspeak. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share