gaffe

noun

1
: a social or diplomatic blunder
committed an embarrassing gaffe when he mispronounced her name
2
: a noticeable mistake
Kwan did not fall today, as she had in Friday's short program, a gaffe that left her in fourth place.Christopher Clarey

Examples of gaffe in a Sentence

He realized that he had committed an awful gaffe when he mispronounced her name. committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Colorado started the second period in similar fashion to the first, but Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar took advantage of a Buffalo gaffe to reclaim the lead. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025 McMillan’s early gaffe highlighted his growing pains as a rookie wide receiver. Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025 The Sharks lost 4-3 to the Golden Knights on Thursday as a pair of gaffes by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic allowed Vegas to score late in the third period and early in overtime. Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025 Cutting down on defensive gaffes that surely stick out in voters’ minds will vault him into a group with the best rearguards in the sport. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gaffe

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, probably a sense development of gaffe gaff entry 1

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gaffe was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaffe. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

gaffe

noun
: a noticeable mistake especially of manners

More from Merriam-Webster on gaffe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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