misapplying

verb

present participle of misapply
as in misusing
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misapplying
  1. misusing
  2. abusing
Verb
  • An Athens-Clarke County police officer has been fired and is under investigation after officials say he was accused of misusing his department's Flock Safety system to search for his ex-girlfriend's vehicle.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency found that GEO Group had violated federal law by misusing HDQ Neutral.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of misusing
Verb
  • As Rolling Stone and Sportico have reported, the Riverside plaintiffs all allege that the church should have known that Lorch was abusing children.
    — Luke Cyphers, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Damian Reynolds, 34, was sentenced to a 20-year prison sentence — the maximum allowed under the law —after he was convicted of abusing two women, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

misapply
misapplying
misapprehend
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Cite this Entry

“Misapplying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misapplying. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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