Misinterpret return of crude power (4)
I believe the answer is:
warp
'misinterpret' is the definition.
(to warp can mean to distort or misrepresent)
'return of crude power' is the wordplay.
'return of' says the letters should be written backwards.
'crude' becomes 'raw' ('raw' can be a synonym of 'crude').
'power' becomes 'p'.
'raw' reversed gives 'war'.
'war'+'p'='WARP'
(Other definitions for warp that I've seen before include "Make bent or twisted" , "Become bent like timber through heat" , "Of wood, twist under heat" , "Go out of shape" , "Become twisted" .)