mishap

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noun mis·hap \ ˈmis-ˌhap , mis-ˈ \

Definition of mishap

1 :an unfortunate accident

The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

2 :bad luck :misfortune

The ceremony proceeded without mishap.

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Examples of mishap in a Sentence

We experienced the usual mishaps of a family vacation.
The ceremony proceeded without mishap.
The fire was a tragic mishap that could have been prevented.

Recent Examples of mishap from the Web

How Northwestern alum went from digging in campus bushes to 'Survivor' » Chicago postal worker has embarrassing mishap on 'Survivor' »

— tracy swartz, chicagotribune.com, "Former Bear, Illinois CB Alan Ball competing on 'Survivor'," 30 Aug. 2017
Kyler suffered a minor setback in the spring, breaking his left small toe in a mishap during a track practice.

— michael osipoff, Post-Tribune, "Experienced defender Kyler Tanis provides an anchor for revamped Highland," 28 Aug. 2017
The top U.S. Navy officer, Adm. John Richardson, has ordered that ships around the world stop and retrain, relearn and focus on proper procedures and safety precautions to prevent more collisions or mishaps.

— lolita c. baldor, The Seattle Times, "On ships far from the McCain crash, a renewed safety focus," 25 Aug. 2017
The bad start to the day came just before 4 a.m., when wheels on a New Jersey Transit train came off a track inside Penn Station, the third such mishap for New Jersey Transit in recent months.

— patrick mcgeehan and jonah engel bromwich, New York Times, "Train Derailment, Subway Delays Foul Another Morning Commute," 23 Aug. 2017
In all the mishaps that Carey can't seem to get away from, one thing's for sure — Mimi marches to the beat of her own drum.

— carine lavache, Cosmopolitan, "Wow, Mariah Carey's Dance Moves Are Really Something Else," 18 July 2017
Despite this mishap, Justin's an advocate for safety behind the wheel.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Justin Bieber Got a Ticket for Using His Phone While Driving," 16 July 2017
The most serious mishap occurred on Oct. 6, 2010, as residents Lloyd and Maureen McKee were flying their Piper PA-32R-300 to Pittsburgh.

— bill bird, Naperville Sun, "At 60, Naperville's 'airpark' subdivision still flying," 15 July 2017
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

— leada gore, AL.com, "July 4th fireworks laws: What's legal, what's illegal on Independence Day?," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mishap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of mishap

14th century

mishap Synonyms

Synonyms

casualty, mischance, accident

Antonyms

fortune, luck, serendipity

Related Words

calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, cropper, deathblow, disaster, tragedy; bummer, knock, misadventure, misfortune; collision, crack-up, crash, smashup, wreck

Near Antonyms

boon, break, fluke, godsend, miracle, strike, windfall; fortune, luck, serendipity

Synonym Discussion of mishap

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this. misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.