1
as in mistake
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
you can expect to make some amusing gaffs until you get more familiar with the language
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blunder
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
double-check the new writer's grammar, as it's typically riddled with gaffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
a sleazy schemer who gaffed gullible people into thinking they could get rich with a money-making opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the operators of the traveling carnival had gaffed patrons with a variety of time-honored ruses
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gaff
Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Some of the gear commonly used for technical climbing, like gaffs—steel spikes worn on the legs for added grip on the tree trunk when cutting branches—can also cause inadvertent damage to the tallest trees.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: How can people determine the difference between just a normal gaff and when there's actually something wrong?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Sunday's cartoons - airline safety, teleprompter gaffs, and more
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By The Week US
published April 28, 2024
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 28 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Noun
About two minutes before his gaff, Connor Bedard scored a power-play goal (Martin Pospíšil had committed a boarding major against Taylor Hall) to help the Hawks draw within 4-2.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Some of the gear commonly used for technical climbing, like gaffs—steel spikes worn on the legs for added grip on the tree trunk when cutting branches—can also cause inadvertent damage to the tallest trees.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 7 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: How can people determine the difference between just a normal gaff and when there's actually something wrong?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Sunday's cartoons - airline safety, teleprompter gaffs, and more
Newsletter sign up
By The Week US
published April 28, 2024
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 28 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
Noun
-
Investors who do not use the tool risk making major mistakes.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Read on for some of the most common nutrition mistakes sports dietitians see that wreak havoc on people’s workouts—plus what to do instead.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
What happened to Josh Friedman isn’t just an HR blunder.—
Chloe Rogers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 July 2025
-
Letting Tommy Kahnle, a reliable arm, walk has turned out to be a massive blunder.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Luckily for Marian, much of Bertha’s attention is stolen by the unexpected arrival of her unsophisticated sister; Bertha’s too busy making snide comments and tricking her into wearing nicer gowns to even bother with Marian.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
13 July 2025
-
The offense is built on outside runs and tricking the defense.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Unlike the previous Final Destination Bloodlines films, however, death not only comes for the specific individuals who cheated death, but for generations of relatives in the survivors’ bloodlines.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
-
Call to police started over cheating feud According to the criminal complaints: The woman began fighting the day before the shooting because of Jones' infidelity.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
High-profile cases have shown that spreadsheet errors can cost companies millions.—
Aleksandra Bal,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Unforced error after unforced error plagued the team.—
Emma Moon,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
His impersonation is so convincing that Lu and Shin are initially fooled.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
-
The Mets couldn’t pick up his slider and were fooled on his changeup.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
The bees became aggressive and stung the man multiple times.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
-
Those walking through Aurillac, a quaint French community, were stung over a 30-minute period, with three people in critical condition evacuated to a hospital.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood’s gaffe. 2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
-
There are benefits to waiting; Apple has largely been able to avoid the embarrassing AI gaffes of its rivals, with one exception.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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