misapply

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mis·ap·ply / ˌmisəˈplī/ • v. (-plies, -plied) [tr.] (usu. be misapplied) use (something) for the wrong purpose or in the wrong way: once new technology is adopted, it is often underused or misapplied.DERIVATIVES: mis·ap·pli·ca·tion / -ˌapləˈkāshən/ n.

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