1
as in blunder
a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark
committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffe
Piero Hincapie had spent most of the day fighting off jokes from team-mates — Gabriel, in particular — and the wider football community after the gaffe with his shorts against Burnley.
—
Art De Roché, New York Times, 20 May 2026
It was so well presented with countless references to viral moments and gaffes.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Granted, Becerra has had a hard week, with a gaffe with a reporter that went viral and a plea deal by a former aide in that case of money misappropriated from his dormant campaign account.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
There were glitches and gaffes aplenty.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Art De Roché, New York Times, 20 May 2026
It was so well presented with countless references to viral moments and gaffes.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Granted, Becerra has had a hard week, with a gaffe with a reporter that went viral and a plea deal by a former aide in that case of money misappropriated from his dormant campaign account.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
There were glitches and gaffes aplenty.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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For Meta, the problem started with what some industry experts called, in hindsight at least, a strategic blunder.—
Jonathan Vanian,Julia Boorstin,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
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The Spurs fared well in the closing minute, aside from Fox’s blunder, but the attrition from the Knicks offense spreading them out did them in well before then.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Ahead, cleaning expert Sofia Martinez, CEO and cleaning expert at Sparkly Maid Austin, and Lea Grandin, social media manager and content creator at AspenClean, explain how to use vinegar to clean your oven, plus the common mistakes to avoid.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
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Young people make destructive mistakes and deserve a path back.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Crespi denied the claims, saying a bookkeeping error led to false allegations about her hours and vacation time.—
Tess Riski
June 18,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
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Marist said the poll's margin of error was ±3 percent.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Was the majesty of America’s historical mission enough to forgive the indiscretions of the present?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 June 2026
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Democratic leaders seem determined not to allow anything to get in the way of winning Maine’s Senate seat, even if that requires willful blindness toward Platner’s lengthening record of indiscretions.—
Shannon A. Mullen,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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