misstate

American  

[mis-steyt] / mɪsˈsteɪt /

verb (used with object)

misstated, misstating

1. to state wrongly or misleadingly; make a wrong statement about.

   Synonyms:

   distort, alter, falsify, misreport

---

misstate British  

/ ˌmɪsˈsteɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to state incorrectly

---

Other Word Forms

• misstatement noun
• misstater noun

Etymology

Origin of misstate

First recorded in 1640–50; mis- ¹ + state

Example Sentences

Court Judge George Wu, misstated the law required to prove guilt, saying if Boylan “engaged in misconduct and/or acted with gross negligence,” he could be found guilty of the charge.

From Los Angeles Times

The 9th Circuit had agreed with the state’s attorneys who said the judge had misstated California law.

From Los Angeles Times

This was misstated in the Feb. 11 op-ed “The Saudi Crown Prince Taps the Brakes.”

From The Wall Street Journal

That report was widely criticized for misattribution and misstating the conclusions of the studies it cited.

From Barron's

The Jan. 20 editorial, “The Greenland War of 2026,” misstated that fact.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• distort
• misrepresent