misrepresent
Americanverb (used with object)
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misrepresents,
present (3rd person singular)
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misrepresented,
past participle, past
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misrepresenting
present participle
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to represent incorrectly, improperly, or falsely.
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to represent in an unsatisfactory manner.
verb
Synonym Usage
Misrepresent, distort, falsify, belie share the sense of presenting information in a way that does not accord with the truth. Misrepresent usually involves a deliberate intention to deceive, either for profit or advantage: The dealer misrepresented the condition of the car. Distort implies a purposeful twisting or emphasizing of certain statements so as to produce an inaccurate or misleading impresssion: cleverly distorting the facts to create an impression of his own innocence. Falsify suggests a tampering with or alteration of facts, records, or documents, especially with the intent to cheat or deceive: He falsified the birth records to conceal his age. Belie means to create an impression that is inconsistent with the facts, or that contradicts other evidence but it does not usually suggest intent to deceive: Her casual, relaxed manner belies her insecurity.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misrepresentationnoun
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misrepresenternoun
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premisrepresentverb (used with object)
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misrepresentativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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misrepresentsimple
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misrepresentssimple
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have misrepresentedperfect
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has misrepresentedperfect
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am misrepresentingprogressive
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are misrepresentingprogressive
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is misrepresentingprogressive
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have been misrepresentingperfect progressive
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has been misrepresentingperfect progressive
Past
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misrepresentedsimple
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had misrepresentedperfect
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was misrepresentingprogressive
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were misrepresentingprogressive
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had been misrepresentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of misrepresent
Explanation
If you deliberately mislead someone — for example, by lying about your work experience at a job interview — you misrepresent yourself, or paint a false picture of who you are. The verb misrepresent can be a relatively gentle way to say "lie," or it can mean more of a bending of the truth. You might misrepresent the reliability of an old car you're trying to sell or accidentally misrepresent an author's intentions in a school book report. The word itself is built from the Old English prefix mis-, which means "bad or wrong," and represent, or "depict, describe, or symbolize."
Vocabulary lists containing misrepresent
Power Prefix: mis-
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mis-
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In the Words of Abraham Lincoln
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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:
Following the ruling, Meta said the company remains "confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts."
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
“We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
"We will take all available legal action against attempts to misrepresent our company," said the spokesperson.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
“There’s a danger where you misrepresent the truth,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Harris and Watkins wrote letters to editors complaining they’d been quoted out of context, their story sensationalized to “distort, misrepresent and terrify.”
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
The suit, Paramount has said, misrepresents the current state of the entertainment industry, particularly because it isn’t considering the streaming marketplace in its evaluation of competition and market share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email to the Associated Press that Griffin’s lawsuit “repeatedly misrepresents The New York Times story and its reporting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
In this case, I can’t see how ironing out a few wrinkles and covering a rumpled duvet with a digital bedspread materially misrepresents your home.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026
Meta disputed the organisation's findings published last September, saying it "misrepresents our efforts to empower parents and protect teens".
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
“Freddie never lies. He misrepresents, but he never lies.”
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
Kushwaha later said his remarks had been "distorted and misrepresented" and promised action against those responsible.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
“Not only did Paramount leak the alleged substance of the settlement discussions, but they misrepresented these discussions, demonstrating a lack of good faith,” Bonta said on Monday, noting: “I have pulled down this meeting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln have been misrepresented.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Hegseth, however, told journalists that conditions aboard the carrier have been "completely misrepresented."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
And that kind of bugged me, that I was being misrepresented in that way.”
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
By misrepresenting nonsensical evidence, he accused Smith of perjury.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Instead of a seller being fined for misrepresenting their goods, the shipment would be returned.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
As McDonnell spoke, the commission room erupted in jeers as several people accused the chief of misrepresenting what happened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
LinkedIn said in a statement that misrepresenting one’s identity violates its terms of service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Later editions of her Surinam book were needlessly reorganized according to different classification systems, garbling and misrepresenting her findings.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
