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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gaff
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
Despite the gaff, Redmaye is still hoping to sneak his son and daughter into the August Wilson Theatre in New York City to see his opening number.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Noun
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
Despite the gaff, Redmaye is still hoping to sneak his son and daughter into the August Wilson Theatre in New York City to see his opening number.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for gaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaff
Noun
-
The Cubs, though, have provided structure, positive reinforcement and the runway to make mistakes and figure out what works.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
Status threat, risk of irrelevance, and making mistakes are common barriers.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Other big moments in Trump’s presidency include the leak of U.S. military attack plans to Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, what was widely considered to be the first major blunder of his second term.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
By the 10th, all those blunders faded into the background of their third win in three tries since Posey’s shocking flurry of roster moves.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Geragos asked Jane about presents that Diddy lavished upon her, for example, seemingly to suggest that his gift-giving indicated a romantic relationship, not a ruse to trick her into kink.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
-
Phishing pages masquerade as banks, auction sites, and other sensitive sites, hoping to trick victims into logging in.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Iran's response: cheating and hiding its nuclear weapons program; sprinting toward a bomb; and trying to assassinate senior American officials, including President Trump.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
Trouble is, the elder Broadway managed to cheat St. Christopher out of his share of the plunder.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
That poll surveyed 658 Virginia residents between May 12 and May 19, and has a weighted margin of error of 5.25 percent.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
Many small business workers may not have digital access or face language barriers when missing paperwork or tech errors can result in automatic loss of coverage.—
Rhett Buttle,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Even though baby clothes and newborn diapers feel too tiny to wreak havoc, don’t be fooled!—
Briana Feigon,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2025
-
Perhaps that’s what fans were griping about last year — that Burns didn’t have it anymore and Slavin was papering over all those issues, enough to fool this model.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
What to know: Free to enter; no lifeguards or facilities and the salty water can sting cuts or irritate sensitive skin.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2025
-
According to the Entomology department at North Carolina State, Asian needle ants try to avoid contact with humans, but will sting when pressured.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Marshall took the gaffe in stride, a graciousness made easier by his stature on the team and within the league.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
-
The Jayhawks’ starting pitcher, Cooper Moore, surrendered a two-out walk, and North Dakota State followed by scoring runs on a double and single (aided by the aforementioned fielding gaffes).—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaff. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share