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
  • The Washington Post and other news outlets have recently reported on incidents of individual police officers misusing information collected by license plate readers for personal reasons, such as tracking the movements of former romantic partners.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • She was arrested two days later on charges of misusing a license plate reader system.
    — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of misusing
Verb
  • Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Countless cops, meanwhile, are abusing the cameras to stalk women.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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