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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of faux pas
Many of us grew up under the impression that committing this fashion faux pas could end in arrest by the fashion police!
—
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
More Michael Reaves/Getty Images Many have zeroed in on the Cubs' failure to add a starter (beyond Mike Soroka, who instantly went on the injured list) as their biggest faux pas.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
The bride allegedly committed the fashion faux pas of not wearing a gown designed by her famous mother in law.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025
Missing your flight is the ultimate travel faux pas this summer.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
More Michael Reaves/Getty Images Many have zeroed in on the Cubs' failure to add a starter (beyond Mike Soroka, who instantly went on the injured list) as their biggest faux pas.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
The bride allegedly committed the fashion faux pas of not wearing a gown designed by her famous mother in law.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025
Missing your flight is the ultimate travel faux pas this summer.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
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Having the confidence to make tough decisions, to trust your team, to learn from your mistakes, and to keep moving forward.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
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That, in my opinion, is a mistake.—
Arthur Azizov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Buffalo, known for end-of-half blunders in past years, scored a field goal as the first half expired after moving the ball 48 yards in three plays (including a spike).—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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As competition heated up with Walmart, Target made what may be viewed by some in hindsight a profound blunder, another case of brand amnesia.—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An aircraft flying without GPS can accumulate miles of error in just hours.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
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FanDuel acknowledged the error in the way the game score was displayed and pinned it on a third-party provider.—
Contessa Brewer,Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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