misuse
noun
wrong or improper use; misapplication.
had misused
-
past perfectof misuse.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though the claim was never verified and the politician later denied that his family had misused state resources, Aditya's mind was made up.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
That probe determined he had misused funds and misled the board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2024
The court said Mr. Xiao and his company had misused more than $20 billion.
From New York Times ● May 29, 2023
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he has previously called his siblings’ accusations that he had misused government power against them “entirely baseless.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
I must admit that in writing this paper I was motivated partly by irritation with Bekenstein, who, I felt, had misused my discovery of the increase of the area of the event horizon.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
