misdirect

verb

mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt How to pronounce misdirect (audio)
-(ˌ)dī-
misdirected; misdirecting; misdirects

transitive verb

1
: to give a wrong direction to
2
: to direct wrongly
misdirected their energies

Examples of misdirect in a Sentence

Their mail was misdirected to our address. If he tells you he's not interested, he's trying to misdirect you.
Recent Examples on the Web All of that is just really misdirected and contrary to the positions of major medical associations and public health associations. Chantelle Lee, TIME, 24 Sep. 2024 The goal of that litigation is simple: use speculative and specious legal theories to convince a jury that chain pharmacies and distribution companies should foot the bill for fixing years of ineffective and misdirected city programs and absent public health leadership. Lauren Sheets Jarrell, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2024 Maurice Drake, the judge in his trial, also presided over the Bridgewater case, in which he was accused of misdirecting the jury with a biased summing-up. Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024 Like a skilled magician, authors must constantly misdirect, hint and tease. Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for misdirect 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misdirect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdirect was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near misdirect

Cite this Entry

“Misdirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdirect. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

misdirect

verb
mis·​di·​rect ˌmis-də-ˈrekt How to pronounce misdirect (audio)
-(ˌ)dī-
: to direct incorrectly
misdirection
-ˈrek-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on misdirect

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!