misstep

noun

mis·​step ˌmis-ˈstep 

1

: a mistake in judgment or action : blunder

missteps that led to the project's failure

2

: a wrong step

took a misstep and fell

Synonyms of misstep

• mistake

Examples of misstep in a Sentence

Their decision to relocate the company was a major misstep.

another misstep like that, and the company could go belly-up

Recent Examples on the Web

But a series of bruising scandals hit him, while many of his own lawmakers blamed him for policy missteps that were deeply unpopular. — Nick Duffy, NBC news, 22 June 2026

While rumblings of discontent had long swirled around Starmer’s leadership within Labour following a string of missteps, unpopular policy decisions and costly U-turns, the local elections in early May crystallized the rebellion. — Joe Mayes, Fortune, 22 June 2026

There were missteps for Arista along the way, including the Milli Vanilli fiasco of the late 1980s, but the label would become a destination where artists would revive their careers after commercial step-backs or dormancy. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 22 June 2026

This lack of excitement for his government was compounded by missteps. — ABC News, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for misstep

• bicep
• doorstep
• footstep
• instep
• sidestep
• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep
• step

Kids Definition

misstep

noun

mis·​step (ˈ)mis-ˈstep 

1

: a wrong step

2

: mistake entry 2 sense 2, blunder