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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 gaffe
The gaffe was met with laughter from attendees, including Elizabeth herself.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Nor did anyone commit an injurious gaffe.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Nor did anyone commit an injurious gaffe.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Thomas’ baserunning gaffe made the wrong kind of national attention.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Callum Sutherland, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Nor did anyone commit an injurious gaffe.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Nor did anyone commit an injurious gaffe.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Thomas’ baserunning gaffe made the wrong kind of national attention.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
-
These blunders were a tragicomedy—a circus act entirely devoid of peanuts or joy.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
There also had been a humiliating blunder in which the bank sent $900 million to the wrong place and struggled to get it back.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Wrobleski made even fewer mistakes.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
In many games, her assists and offensive prowess create positives that can arguably offset her mistakes.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Avila-Siqueiros was silencing the Warner bats, allowing just four walks and an error in the first five innings.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Among frequent issues cited in the adverse event reports were administration of an extra or incorrect dose, issues with communication about a product, and prescribing errors.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately though, Johnson was undone by his own indiscretions.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
If true, or without a plausible explanation, the indiscretions could remove Stewart as a genuine political threat for November.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
