misused; misusing; misuses
1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
misused his talents
a word that is frequently misused
was charged withmisusing company funds
misuser
noun
plural misusers
: incorrect or improper use : misapplication
the misuse of words
a misuse of power
Examples of misuse in a Sentence
Verb
She's charged with misusing company funds.
a word that is frequently misused
Noun
No refunds will be offered on products damaged by misuse.
the warranty for this dryer is null and void if you subject the product to deliberate misuse
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
This comes six months after a jury found Rinsch guilty of misusing funds in connection with the production of an unfinished Netflix series.
—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
7 July 2026
Anaheim, San José and Sacramento are just a few of the California cities whose police departments plan to deter firework misuse through a proactive approach.
—
Amen Galinato,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for misuse
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Anthropic released Claude Fable 5 to the public earlier this month, with safeguards the company said would reduce the risk of it being misused for cyberattacks or other nefarious purposes.
—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
This comes six months after a jury found Rinsch guilty of misusing funds in connection with the production of an unfinished Netflix series.
—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Noun
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 15 deaths and 13,000 injuries in the United States attributed to either the misuse of or malfunctions with fireworks.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
7 July 2026
Anaheim, San José and Sacramento are just a few of the California cities whose police departments plan to deter firework misuse through a proactive approach.
—
Amen Galinato,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for misuse
Cite this Entry
“Misuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misuse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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