Synonyms of gaffes

gaffes

noun

plural of gaffe

1

as in blunders

a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark

committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blunders
• mistakes
• errors
• indiscretions
• gaffs
• improprieties
• solecisms
• faux pas
• familiarities
• miscues
• flubs
• missteps
• fumbles
• offenses
• goofs
• discourtesies
• slipups
• lapses
• incivilities
• oversights
• stumbles
• misstatements
• misjudgments
• miscalculations
• howlers
• misconceptions
• misunderstandings
• slips
• foul-ups
• boners
• muffs
• misapprehensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gestures
• amenities
• courtesies
• attentions
• formalities
• manners
• pleasantries
• forms
• civilities
• mores
• proprieties

2

as in mistakes

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

• mistakes
• blunders
• errors
• miscues
• fumbles
• flubs
• inaccuracies
• missteps
• trips
• gaffs
• stumbles
• goofs
• faults
• screwups
• slipups
• clangers
• lapses
• oversights
• bobbles
• bricks
• boobs
• clinkers
• boo-boos
• fluffs
• slips
• bloopers
• pratfalls
• snafus
• howlers
• misstatements
• misunderstandings
• misjudgments
• miscalculations
• misinterpretations
• boners
• misreadings
• misconceptions
• foul-ups
• misconstructions
• bloomers
• misimpressions
• misapprehensions
• misdescriptions
• miscomprehensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accuracies
• precisions
• exactitudes
• perfections
• infallibilities
• inerrancies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gaffes

Shroff also said the debate produced no major gaffes or race-changing moments in a contest that has already attracted substantial national attention and spending. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026

But the clips are inescapable on my Instagram feed, and the science gaffes seem … real bad. — Brittany Trang, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026

One of its more glaring gaffes within the past couple years is the delay of Caitlin Clark's signature sneaker. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Uncharacteristic gaffes could have proved costly, from a punt bouncing off Siran Neal’s legs to Eddy Piñeiro’s golden boot missing two point-after kicks. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026

Defense holds strong after first-half gaffes The Trojans ran the ball from heavy formations and used play-action off those looks to incrementally make their way down the field. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026

But there were also many of the same gaffes that plagued Washington during its miserable 5-12 campaign in 2025. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

The April vote followed drops in polling for National, while this week’s followed recent public remarks Luxon had made on various issues that some in his party saw as gaffes. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Hilton, 48, made a name in the early 2000s publicizing and sometimes belittling celebrities who made public gaffes or otherwise found themselves in trouble with the law. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026