as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
the solecism of asking one's hosts how much something in their house cost them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of solecism
The result is global English but one without the imprecision and solecism implied by that label.
—
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
And a single word couldn’t be a dead giveaway either, no matter how much people would like to portray the use of pled rather than pleaded as an obvious Trumpian solecism, especially when Dowd himself has been documented using pled at least once.
—Ben Zimmer, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solecism
Noun
-
The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That’s because investors often interpret diversity crises as signs of systemic failure, rather than isolated mistakes.—
Prachi Gala,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Same for Dax Hill, focusing on going back to work and correcting mistakes.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Here’s where the show does have some awareness about its characters’ problematic indiscretions, and Carrington pushes back to point out that a relationship with a trans woman isn’t anything to be ashamed of.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Navratilova’s practiced that forgiveness, even now as Lemigova finds herself amid a sea of public scrutiny for exposing her indiscretion on the reunion stage.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That does leave retailers less margin for error and requires a better mastery of data analytics to improve demand forecasting—making sure that what is on offer matches what shoppers want.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Kelly did not disclose what structural engineering issues the building had, but said that the company's structural engineering firm informed Amazon of its error in a statement without elaborating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The two teams traded special teams gaffes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Bad center snaps, dropped passes, pre-snap penalties, gaffes by the defensive secondary.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Solecism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solecism. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share