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
In a 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, the Mets didn’t blow any leads, there were no defensive gaffes and the lineup made life tough on right-hander Brad Lord.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Instead, the show tends to replay these gaffes without adding much new perspective.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
After the game, Merrill shrugged off the gaffe as a one-off.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
And an apparent baserunning gaffe, in this instance by John Rave.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Instead, the show tends to replay these gaffes without adding much new perspective.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
After the game, Merrill shrugged off the gaffe as a one-off.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
And an apparent baserunning gaffe, in this instance by John Rave.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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Shrader missed badly from 60 yards but Tillman’s infraction gave the Colts another untimed down and Shrader nailed the do-over to give Indy its first 2-0 start since 2009 and send the Broncos home with big regrets over their blunder.—
Arnie Stapleton,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
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Pittsburgh Steelers kick returner Kaleb Johnson suffered an unfortunate blunder during the team’s game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But Trump has seemed to suggest that the drone incident may have been a mistake.—
Michelle Stoddart,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Consumer Behavior Supports Continued Innovation One of leaders’ biggest mistakes during volatile periods is assuming all consumer behavior changes negatively.—
Talbott Roche,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An aircraft flying without GPS can accumulate miles of error in just hours.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
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FanDuel acknowledged the error in the way the game score was displayed and pinned it on a third-party provider.—
Contessa Brewer,Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Both their indiscretions seem to be a thing of the past, if King Charles’s actions are to be believed.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
31 Aug. 2025
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Many of Combs' former colleagues have spoken out about his personal and professional indiscretions since his arrest.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Half an hour later Denio had worked the fish up from the bottom near their boat, where crew members sunk a large flying gaff into it.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
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Crowe leaped from the boat with a fishing gaff and, after several fumbles, managed to flip the trembling, bloodied creature onto the bow deck.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffe. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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