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
Yet at a large function, announcing your departure could actually be more of a faux pas.
—
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Last year’s Challengers omission was a faux pas, but Daniel Lopatin’s snub for Marty Supreme should be a debated at The Hague.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Think throwback energy without the fashion faux pas.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Seeing the response to Benedict’s faux pas, asking Sophie to be his mistress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Last year’s Challengers omission was a faux pas, but Daniel Lopatin’s snub for Marty Supreme should be a debated at The Hague.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Think throwback energy without the fashion faux pas.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Seeing the response to Benedict’s faux pas, asking Sophie to be his mistress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for faux pas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faux pas
Noun
-
Unfortunately, admitting mistakes doesn’t come easily for many people.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To avoid this big mistake, figure out in advance exactly how deep the hole should be, and be careful not to dig any deeper.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tunsil plummeted out of the top ten, falling all the way to the 13th pick, where the Miami Dolphins were the beneficiaries of his blunder.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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That such a blunder might be shrugged off and even celebrated, rather than shamefully shunted away, struck Schuch as a very American notion.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Following a throwing error that allowed Trevor Story to reach with two outs, Marcelo Mayer drove an RBI double the opposite way off the Green Monster to give the Red Sox their first lead of the series.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The surplus turned out to be a mirage, based on a $165 billion error in revenue estimates over four years.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Faux pas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faux%20pas. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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