as in incorrect
having an opinion that does not agree with truth or the facts
meat loaf is on the cafeteria's menu today, if I'm not mistaken
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in misunderstood
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in underestimated
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confused
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mistaken
Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Packed with mistaken identities, overheard conversations, and joyful chaos, this beloved classic is one of Shakespeare’s most enduring comedies.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
The Few But Plenty crew committed numerous drive-by shootings and sometimes injured people with no gang affiliation or who were mistaken for members of a rival gang.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.
—Emma Burrows, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
This North American native beauty is too often mistaken for ragweed and incorrectly deemed a nuisance.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
So did Club name Corning , but the sellers are mistaken .
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
From her glossy blonde hair to her signature pout, this is not the first time Martin has been mistaken for her mom's twin.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Zaluzhnyi believes the agency could not plausibly have mistaken the location of the country’s main war command center.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
This is the second time in the past few weeks that local police in our area have been mistaken for ICE.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Too many players have mistaken the AI boom for a chance to buy credibility rather than to build capability.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Rather than come off as a protest event, the 35-minute program offered a set of mild, largely non-political performances that could have been mistaken for a vintage CMT or Nashville Network special — even from Kid Rock, who was on his very best behavior during a quick two-song appearance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
Food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken as hunger, experts say.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Sanders would be mistaken, however, to regard NIL or revenue share as authorizing a workplace fine system.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
They easily could have been mistaken for agitated sports fans, and their actions were small and diffuse enough that they could be quickly dispersed.
—Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
This is the kind of reductive take one hears when popularity is mistaken for cultural value.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Packed with mistaken identities, overheard conversations, and joyful chaos, this beloved classic is one of Shakespeare’s most enduring comedies.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
The Few But Plenty crew committed numerous drive-by shootings and sometimes injured people with no gang affiliation or who were mistaken for members of a rival gang.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.
—Emma Burrows, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
This North American native beauty is too often mistaken for ragweed and incorrectly deemed a nuisance.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
So did Club name Corning , but the sellers are mistaken .
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
From her glossy blonde hair to her signature pout, this is not the first time Martin has been mistaken for her mom's twin.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
But my silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Zaluzhnyi believes the agency could not plausibly have mistaken the location of the country’s main war command center.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
This is the second time in the past few weeks that local police in our area have been mistaken for ICE.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Too many players have mistaken the AI boom for a chance to buy credibility rather than to build capability.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Rather than come off as a protest event, the 35-minute program offered a set of mild, largely non-political performances that could have been mistaken for a vintage CMT or Nashville Network special — even from Kid Rock, who was on his very best behavior during a quick two-song appearance.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
Food noise can be described as frequent thoughts about food that can sometimes be mistaken as hunger, experts say.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Sanders would be mistaken, however, to regard NIL or revenue share as authorizing a workplace fine system.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
They easily could have been mistaken for agitated sports fans, and their actions were small and diffuse enough that they could be quickly dispersed.
—Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistaken
Adjective
-
The statement came after Bloomberg reported that Oracle and OpenAI had dropped plans to expand the site, though Oracle said media reports regarding Abilene were incorrect.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
He was charged in 2013 with tax fraud for filing an incorrect return tied to a Ponzi scheme operated by another man.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Democrats stand for upholding the Constitution and Rule of Law but have been misunderstood by the electorate.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Scientific research shows that millions of people live in areas facing inundation, but now, a new study finds those numbers have been vastly underestimated.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Although discrepancies are smaller in data-rich regions such as Western Europe and the eastern United States, where robust local monitoring has kept projections more closely calibrated, the study identifies the West Coast of North America as a region where sea levels have also been underestimated.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Carlson clearly got confused between the arsonist and the fire brigade.—
Calev Myers,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
They are confused by all the activity.—
Via Chronicle Books,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This story has been updated to correct wrong information from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
-
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Murray made the game’s first basket, then missed his next 12 shots before fouling out.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Linesman Ben O’Quinn fell ill after the first period and missed the rest of the game.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even so, the idea seemed misjudged.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the end, McAdams’ sexiness isn’t incidental, but integral to how she’s been misjudged.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistaken. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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