How to Use err in a Sentence

err

verb

• The court erred in refusing to allow bail.
• I may have erred in my calculations.
• To err on the cautious side, two hours is a good rule of thumb.
  — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
• When in doubt, err on the side of caution if something seems off.
  — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2018
• If in doubt as to how far to cut a branch back, err on the side of pruning more.
  — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
• Ball felt some soreness, so the team erred on the side of caution.
  — Tania Ganguli, latimes.com, 4 Feb. 2018
• Creamy Whip chose to err on the side of caution and close its doors.
  — Keely Brown, The Enquirer, 30 June 2020
• Wear with a pair of sleek jeans or leather pants for a look that errs on the edgier side.
  — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2023
• Leave it to these celebs to embrace their birthday suits in, err, very unique ways.
  — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE.com, 3 Apr. 2018
• Along the way, Mueller drew some criticism when his agents erred.
  — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
• Arzuaga’s blast to center was misread and erred on to score two.
  — Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
• Experts say when in doubt, err on the side of caution and talk to your doctor.
  — Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 14 May 2021
• As for what to keep or download or scan or print, err on the side of overabundance.
  — Ron Lieber, New York Times, 16 May 2020
• Both will want to avoid trouble by erring on the side of safety, curbing free speech.
  — The Economist, 21 Sep. 2017
• Hadid erred on the more casual side in a crop top, black skirt, and loafers with socks.
  — Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 20 June 2023
• Sport your tanks, most of which will likely err on the more basic side, with the trending now.
  — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 July 2024
• But that doesn't mean the show hasn't gotten a fresh coat of paint, err, a new set of rules this season.
  — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 8 Apr. 2018
• The current measures seem to err on the restrictive side for my taste.
  — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2022
• At the end, South erred by leading a club for a nonexistent end play.
  — Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
• The temptation, at least for me, is to err on the side of specificity.
  — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 8 Sep. 2020
• And to err on the other side — the side of Comstockery — is fine with me.
  — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 7 May 2025
• The key, when cooking them, is to err on the side of less water, so your grains end up pearly and distinct.
  — Emily Horton, charlotteobserver, 19 June 2018
• His partner, Evan Bouchard, erred on the first and second goals against, too.
  — Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
• The Fed also needs to be sure not to err too much in the other direction.
  — John Greenwood, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2022
• Be sure to aim straight in, err on aiming up a bit, and drill a hole about 1 1/2 inches deep.
  — Susan Dietrich Hassler, Star Tribune, 3 Mar. 2021
• Under the circumstances, the Fed would do well to err on the side of caution.
  — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 13 Aug. 2021
• Now Instagram, in this case, has chosen to err on the side of caution.
  — Arielle Pardes, Wired, 6 Oct. 2020
• If the Fed errs in setting rates, inflation could surge or job losses could mount.
  — Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
• The court found that Lewis Kaplan did not err in allowing that video to be shown.
  — Graham Kates, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2024
• The assumption, of course, was that the conflict would last twelve weeks—just long enough to put the erring states back in their place.
  — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025