1
as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
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2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
so-called debates, which seemed to be mainly about seeing which candidate made the most gaffes
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Recent Examples of gaffe
On Sunday, the 49ers rebounded from the first-play gaffe to deliver a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive, capped by Purdy’s 1-yard pass to an open Jake Tonges, who started in place of Kittle.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
The errors have ranged from relatively minor pronunciation gaffes to significant changes to story content, like misattributing or inventing quotes and inserting commentary, such as interpreting a source’s quotes as the paper’s position on an issue.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025
As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the gaffes were still there, though the blame doesn’t seem to be solely on the streamer.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
The disgraced outgoing mayor of New York City is a big personality in a position of power with numerous scandals and gaffes for Fumudoh to prod at in her signature affably combative style.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
The errors have ranged from relatively minor pronunciation gaffes to significant changes to story content, like misattributing or inventing quotes and inserting commentary, such as interpreting a source’s quotes as the paper’s position on an issue.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025
As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the gaffes were still there, though the blame doesn’t seem to be solely on the streamer.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
The disgraced outgoing mayor of New York City is a big personality in a position of power with numerous scandals and gaffes for Fumudoh to prod at in her signature affably combative style.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
-
The governor refused to answer reporter questions on if whoever was responsible for the buyout blunder faced any disciplinary action, instead just confirming that action has been taken.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Experts say that the painful blunder could undercut trust in the agency and lead to confusion.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One of the biggest mistakes people make with space heaters is using an extension cord.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Jake returns to 2011 with the intention of going back to 1960 and doing it all over again, this time without making the mistakes that led to Sadie's death.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On the ground, first responders described how Watch Duty’s real-time wildfire mapping and alert app has become indispensable when fast-moving fires leave little room for hesitation or error.—
Erin Hill,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
This story has been updated to correct an error.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Jack, a detective with the sheriff's department, is just trying to keep his indiscretions from being broadcast on the 6 o'clock news.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
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Shuler, whose play with Riverside helped him gain a scholarship to the University of New Orleans, broke down several times when describing Lorch’s use of a paddle to punish him for indiscretions ranging from not working hard in practice to struggling in a high school French class.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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