misrepresent
Americanverb (used with object)
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to represent incorrectly, improperly, or falsely.
-
to represent in an unsatisfactory manner.
verb
Related Words
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
- misrepresentation noun
- misrepresentative adjective
- misrepresenter noun
- premisrepresent verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of misrepresent
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.
Uber avoided paying the taxes by misrepresenting its contracts with its French drivers, according to online publication Revue21, in the US company's latest dispute in Europe over the status of its drivers.
From Barron's
“We could see that she was being misrepresented and denied her rightful place in history.”
From Los Angeles Times
Pelley even noted their evasiveness before suggesting that their organization intentionally misrepresents outliers — such as when books intended for high school students accidentally land on elementary school shelves — to produce skewed narratives of public schools.
From Salon
Documents show she described the property in question as a “vacation home” to her lender when seeking an initial loan estimate, potentially undercutting the claim that she misrepresented it as a primary residence.
It later added an allegation that he misrepresented information on his green-card application.
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.