Misdirect (Verb)
Meaning 1
Lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions; "The pedestrian misdirected the out-of-town driver".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The unreliable tour guide misdirected the tourists, causing them to get lost in the city.
- The GPS system malfunctioned and misdirected the driver to a different highway exit.
- With the intention of getting rid of the unwanted visitor, the roommate misdirected them to the wrong apartment.
- The overly complex directions from the stranger misdirected the lost child, who eventually had to ask for help again.
- The outdated map misdirected the hikers to a dead-end path rather than the correct trailhead.
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Related Words
Meaning 2
Put a wrong address on; "misdirect the letter".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The postal service misdirected the package to the wrong city.
- A missing digit can misdirect a letter to a completely different address.
- She accidentally misdirected the resume to the wrong company.
- Using an outdated map may misdirect you to a non-existent location.
- In the chaos, the delivery driver misdirected the furniture to the neighbor's house.
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Hypernyms
Meaning 3
Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- He was accused of misdirecting the youth with his permissive ideals and indulgent lifestyle.
- The corrupt politician's influence began to misdirect the young minds of the innocent villagers.
- Exposure to excessive violence and crime can misdirect vulnerable teenagers and lead them down a path of destruction.
- The cult leader was known for manipulating and misdirecting his followers with twisted teachings and warped moral guidance.
- The excessive materialism present in the media can misdirect the younger generation into prioritizing the wrong values.