as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
according to an oft-told story, the queen set a guest at ease about a faux pas by politely imitating it
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Recent Examples of faux pas
Seeing the response to Benedict’s faux pas, asking Sophie to be his mistress.
—
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
They were then told or shown photos that gave them a sense of how the person who made the faux pas reacted.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Read Megan Feringa’s story for more on the football faux pas.
—Emily Olsen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Yet, the number of travel faux pas tourists make while strolling the streets of Milan, meandering through ancient ruins in Athens, or cruising around the Mediterranean remains pretty high, considering the increase in visits to Europe's major cities.
—Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
They were then told or shown photos that gave them a sense of how the person who made the faux pas reacted.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Read Megan Feringa’s story for more on the football faux pas.
—Emily Olsen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Yet, the number of travel faux pas tourists make while strolling the streets of Milan, meandering through ancient ruins in Athens, or cruising around the Mediterranean remains pretty high, considering the increase in visits to Europe's major cities.
—Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
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And it's allowed for a lot of mistakes.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
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In some cases, that décor mistake can inadvertently make a space feel cluttered.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Several real estate blunders exacerbated the situation.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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Gabriel and Zubimendi played costly blind passes against Bournemouth and Manchester United in January, Rice had his moment of madness away to Spurs in February, and even David Raya had a rare blunder away to Wolves.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two throwing errors — one by right fielder Jake Fraley, the other by catcher Hunter Feduccia — helped the Cubs score two more runs before Boyle could escape.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Conforto settled for a two-run double with a third run scoring when Dansby Swanson raced home as the Rays committed two errors on the relay.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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