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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffe
The gaffe led to multiple calls for Stars goalie Jake Oettinger online.
—
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Those gaffes cost McAtamney his spot on the roster.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Lett’s inconsequential gaffe overshadowed a defensive performance by the Cowboys that produced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The Tigers’ lead certainly would have been larger at that point — when MU led 34-30 — if not for those gaffes.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Those gaffes cost McAtamney his spot on the roster.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Lett’s inconsequential gaffe overshadowed a defensive performance by the Cowboys that produced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The Tigers’ lead certainly would have been larger at that point — when MU led 34-30 — if not for those gaffes.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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Sadly, Israel will eventually not be as lucky as Magoo, who always manages to walk away from his blunders unscathed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Soundstages in Los Angeles would be busy, thousands of people would be working in those few months early in the year, producing shows that ranged from all-time classics to all-time blunders.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Yet another defensive mistake by Baylor opened the door for the Longhorns to add on.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
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Find the groups without making four mistakes.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Industry guidance from Innovative Toll Solutions says common errors include misread license plates, toll tags that aren’t properly registered, duplicate transactions, or system glitches.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
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Duran, who is in contention for a roster spot, had two iffy throws defensively in attempts to get a pair of speedy runners out, though neither were technically ruled an error.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These reported indiscretions — on which Wasserman did not comment — caused a stir at the time but seemed to fade as weeks went by.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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