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Synonyms

in the wrong

Idioms  

  1. Mistaken, to blame. For example, The teacher was clearly in the wrong but refused to admit it, or Since he had driven straight through a red light, Jack was the one in the wrong. [c. 1400]

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.

You met them too early, or in the wrong context, or without the tools to understand what they could be.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

The report, based on two years of Medi-Cal data, suggests that the state is moving in the wrong direction even as eye problems become more prevalent among kids.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

“These demand indicators are going in the wrong direction,” Spence said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

We kept saying no to certain sources of funding that we felt would lead us in the wrong direction.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

Everyone sat around a large oval conference table, and, trying not to upset Kat, Brooklyn waited until the others had taken their seats to make sure she didn’t sit in the wrong one.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.