wrong end of the stick

noun

A wrong idea about something, a misconception.

“As usual, the newspapers got hold of the wrong end of the stick and stated the whole problem in reverse.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. A wrong idea about something, a misconception.

    As usual, the newspapers got hold of the wrong end of the stick and stated the whole problem in reverse.

Cite this entry
APA

wrong end of the stick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrong%20end%20of%20the%20stick

MLA

“wrong end of the stick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrong%20end%20of%20the%20stick. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wrong end of the stick,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrong%20end%20of%20the%20stick.

Source: wrong end of the stick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.