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Showing results for misidentify. Search instead for misidentifying.
Synonyms

misidentify

American  
[mis-ahy-den-tuh-fahy, -i-den-] / ˌmɪs aɪˈdɛn təˌfaɪ, -ɪˈdɛn- /

verb (used with object)

misidentified, misidentifying
  1. to identify incorrectly.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of misidentify

First recorded in 1890–95; mis- 1 + identify


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.

See Examples For:

"We've found that many respondents misidentify a warning as a watch, which means conditions are favorable for a tornado," Armstrong said.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024

Doa, the former EPA scientist who worked at the agency for three decades, said she had never known the EPA to misidentify a source of pollution in a consent order.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2023

Whatever it was, he should be glad he wasn’t called to the stand to misidentify his ex-wife in person.

From Slate ● May 9, 2023

Plus, many people misidentify butterflies, notes Sarabia, so a guide can help you safely spot them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2023

“How could this major airline misidentify a passenger in such a grotesque and negligent way, to cause such harm,” Mr. Lowe said.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 9, 2022

In fact, an entire genus of vertebrate hid there, misidentified, until a CT scanner settled the question.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

When you get recognized out in public or somebody knows they know you from something, who have you been misidentified as?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

One of the claimants, Thompson, was misidentified by LFR.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

The tools -- prompted in four languages -- not only misidentified authentic text as AI-generated but also attempted to monetize those errors.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

Then, in the 1980s, local divers stumbled upon it but misidentified it as a Dutch merchant ship.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Hill criticised Grok, which is part of Elon Musk's xAI group, for the "chaos" it caused by misidentifying her, and Hampshire police for not publicly confirming she was not involved.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

The research suggests that the brain may be misidentifying internally generated thoughts as sounds coming from the outside world.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2026

“Silver prices fluctuate, but misidentifying items can cost far more than waiting for a slightly better spot price.”

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok churned out misinformation about Australia's Bondi Beach mass shooting, misidentifying a key figure who saved lives and falsely claiming that a victim staged his injuries, researchers said Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

She wasn’t getting high on evidence, but she was consistently misidentifying samples, and claimed to have tested substances that she’d never in fact examined.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

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