misstep

noun

mis·​step ˌmis-ˈstep How to pronounce misstep (audio)
1
: a mistake in judgment or action : blunder
2
: a wrong step

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 On the eve of the 50th edition of ‘the fifth major,’ golf’s biggest stars will head to bed knowing even one misstep at the penultimate hole could – at a tournament offering an unrivalled $25 million purse – cost them millions. Jack Bantock, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Klarna will presumably want to avoid some of Google’s missteps in the IPO process: the internet company was forced to halve the value of the offering as the market for new issues sagged, and some shareholders had issues with the Dutch auction structure. Aisha S Gani, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 But Ellison had backed away from Hollywood in 2019 after a series of missteps and become elusive even to some of her own executives. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The controversies The race featured a series of missteps over the past few weeks — particularly the campaigns of Walker and Castelli. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 The misstep could cost the Cardinal dearly for years. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 The long, tiring hours contributed to human error or missteps, according to another former employee, who said that some men were working 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week, and that the crews were often shorthanded. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Biden will give the speech, watched more closely than ever this year, ears straining to hear any misstep, any gaffe, anything remotely out of the ordinary. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 This is an area that many of the technology titans in their haste to bring new innovations to market are risking reputational brand profile, not only is this true for Google with its second misstep with Gemini, but also for the entire AI industry. Cindy Gordon, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misstep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misstep was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near misstep

Cite this Entry

“Misstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misstep. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misstep

noun
mis·​step (ˈ)mis-ˈstep How to pronounce misstep (audio)
1
: a wrong step
2

More from Merriam-Webster on misstep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!