Synonyms

misdirect

American

[mis-di-rekt] / ˌmɪs dɪˈrɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to direct or address wrongly or incorrectly.

to misdirect a person; to misdirect a letter.

misdirect British

/ ˌmɪsdɪˈrɛkt /

verb

to give (a person) wrong directions or instructions
to address (a letter, parcel, etc) wrongly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

misdirection noun

Etymology

Origin of misdirect

First recorded in 1595–1605; mis- ¹ + direct

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.

By the time couples notice, the pressure is already there, and it often gets misdirected at each other.

From MarketWatch

Rather than reflecting a loss of control due to runaway habits, some compulsive behaviors may result from excessive, though misdirected, deliberate control.

From Science Daily

Last Wednesday, TikTok creators, finding none of the mayhem they expected to see in Springfield, started suggesting that faith-based groups working with Haitian immigrants were misdirecting resources.

From Salon

The upshot is that economic nationalism is misdirected.

From Barron's

No one can read without delight Norman’s exposure of the pursuit of money, power and fame—which is flawed only when misdirected and ridiculous only when denied.

From The Wall Street Journal

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