misremembered

Everyday

1. (euphemism, official) gave a false account, said something untrue — often to avoid saying «lied». tree →
2. (literal) remembered wrongly. tree →

In the lessons

Used by politicians or famous people when caught saying something false, to suggest an honest mistake. Register: official, spin; all regions.

Examples

• The politician said he had misremembered the events. tree →
• I misremembered the date of the test. tree →
• News: The star says she misremembered the story. tree →
• Chat: «misremembered» = lied tree →
• Grandpa misremembered the name of the street. tree →

Note

It can be an honest memory mistake, or an excuse. Plain words: said something false.