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
Christopher ClareyExamples 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
Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood’s gaffe.
2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
There are benefits to waiting; Apple has largely been able to avoid the embarrassing AI gaffes of its rivals, with one exception.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 8 June 2025
Listen to this article San Diego FC had to wait a bit longer this time to capitalize on a shocking defensive gaffe by the Los Angeles Galaxy, through a full 90 minutes and another four of stoppage time, but its patience was rewarded in the dying moments Saturday afternoon at Snapdragon Stadium.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
On Thursday, May 22, the four-time NBA champion appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and explained to the host what really went down during that on-air gaffe.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
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Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
There are benefits to waiting; Apple has largely been able to avoid the embarrassing AI gaffes of its rivals, with one exception.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 8 June 2025
Listen to this article San Diego FC had to wait a bit longer this time to capitalize on a shocking defensive gaffe by the Los Angeles Galaxy, through a full 90 minutes and another four of stoppage time, but its patience was rewarded in the dying moments Saturday afternoon at Snapdragon Stadium.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
On Thursday, May 22, the four-time NBA champion appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and explained to the host what really went down during that on-air gaffe.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaffe. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gaffe
noun
: a noticeable mistake especially of manners
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