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
Never make a charcuterie faux pas again.
—
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
As for their own travel hot takes, Blyth has a strong stance about a certain airport faux pas.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
There were also some humbling defeats, including when Maresca made the faux pas of saying going out of the FA Cup to Brighton could turn out to be a positive.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
So is black a safe choice, a stylish statement, or still a subtle faux pas?
—Anya Meyerowitz, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
As for their own travel hot takes, Blyth has a strong stance about a certain airport faux pas.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
There were also some humbling defeats, including when Maresca made the faux pas of saying going out of the FA Cup to Brighton could turn out to be a positive.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
So is black a safe choice, a stylish statement, or still a subtle faux pas?
—Anya Meyerowitz, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
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Cole Caufield served notice that Team USA made a grave mistake leaving him off the Olympic team, but Morgan Geekie’s deuce trumped the brilliant Montreal Canadiens forward’s hat trick in the Bruins’ thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 win at TD Garden on Saturday night.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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The other side of that coin is that the lengthy language might make mistakes and open the door to interpretations that undercut the law.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That was indicative of how Buffalo’s blunders proved costly.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
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It’s been one blunder after another during the early days of the Tony Dokoupil era at CBS Evening News.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Allowing Russia or China to dictate the terms of Arctic commerce would be a strategic error with lasting consequences.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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When teams have not been rigorously tested in realistic, high-pressure environments, automation can become a force multiplier for errors.—
James Hadley,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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