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
For a show that claims to know Hollywood as well as this one, there are a number of all-too-convenient gaffes.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
After deleting the comment, Drozd joked about the gaffe of speaking publicly.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
This could illuminate the types of mistakes or gaffes that a therapist just out of the gate might make.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
There was only one small gaffe on stage at CBS Radford in Studio City when some of the contestants came out too early towards the end, but it was hardly noticed.
—Peter White, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
After deleting the comment, Drozd joked about the gaffe of speaking publicly.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
This could illuminate the types of mistakes or gaffes that a therapist just out of the gate might make.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
There was only one small gaffe on stage at CBS Radford in Studio City when some of the contestants came out too early towards the end, but it was hardly noticed.
—Peter White, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaffe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffe
Noun
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The two even argued about the 2008 parking meter deal, one of the city’s biggest financial blunders.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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But a series of headwinds, including a recent blunder over see-through leggings, is threatening the company's path forward.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the dugout, after hitting an RBI single off Zac Gallen, Kyle made the mistake of catching a video of the TV broadcast.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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According to our cleaning pros, these are the most common mistakes people make with comforters, and simple fixes that keep them smelling clean all season.—
Farima Ferguson,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The man is facing a charge of grossly negligent homicide, with state prosecutors in Innsbruck accusing him of making multiple errors, including seeking help too late and not carrying suitable equipment.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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The poll found that Cornyn, Hunt and Paxton all have a lead over Crockett and Talarico in a hypothetical November matchup, but that their leads are within the poll’s margin of error.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 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 23 Feb. 2026.
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