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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misjudged
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mistook
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cyber Ninjas sometimes mistook routine aspects of the election process as signs of wrongdoing.
—Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 12 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The doctors at Daso include an octogenarian who once mistook fat for an appendix and other doctors whose board certifications appear to be overstated.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
In September 2018, Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Censori confirmed one part of earlier testimony — that Kardashian was reportedly perturbed when another employee mistook Censori for Kardashian during a visit to the house.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Others mistook Caesar’s top-down approach for a desire to replace the Republic with a monarchy.
—Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Cyber Ninjas sometimes mistook routine aspects of the election process as signs of wrongdoing.
—Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 12 Mar. 2026
Hoyas guard Fred Brown mistook Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate and passed the ball right to his opponent.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The detective believes Levine saw the bags Palacios was carrying and mistook him for a homeless person.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The doctors at Daso include an octogenarian who once mistook fat for an appendix and other doctors whose board certifications appear to be overstated.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
In September 2018, Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Censori confirmed one part of earlier testimony — that Kardashian was reportedly perturbed when another employee mistook Censori for Kardashian during a visit to the house.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Others mistook Caesar’s top-down approach for a desire to replace the Republic with a monarchy.
—Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistook
Verb
-
In response to questions about the Mizuho analyst’s conclusions, Muddy Waters founder Carson Block told Fortune by email that the analyst had misunderstood its findings.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd’s reaction, like so much collective behavior in Japan, could easily be misunderstood by outsiders.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Perez correctly identified pitches that ump Doug Eddings had misjudged.—
Neil Nakahodo,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Even so, the idea seemed misjudged.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This was not to be confused with the Ulster Volunteer Force or the Ulster Defence Association, both terrorist organizations that vehemently favored the link with Britain.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And at least one fan confused the two very different men by sending a photo of Jack Black in his Mandalorian getup to Third Man Records, and requesting an autograph.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When the ball missed, the mascots howled with laughter; one of them, a big yellow mountain lion, pounded the ground.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The freshmen went back in forth, but Illinois missed its last three desperation attempts and UConn made five of its six free throws down the stretch.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This group has been previously underestimated by legacy brands, said Bezel’s CEO Quaid Walker.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, Brown joined veteran journalist Katie Couric live on Substack to discuss her reporting on Epstein, and how the disgraced financier and his camp underestimated her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mistook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistook. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
