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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gaffes
Canseco's misplay – one of the most infamous gaffes in sports history – similarly resulted in a home run for the other team.
—
Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
It was so well presented with countless references to viral moments and gaffes.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
There were glitches and gaffes aplenty.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
No major gaffes to leave any of the contestants sprawled on the killing floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Morgan and Tilis want to give Panthers head coach Dave Canales the best roster possible, and the duo wasn’t afraid to dissect their previous gaffes to make sure that happened.
—Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
His portrayal of academic life will leave real professors wincing, if not giggling … Despite the obvious research that Martel put into his novel, there are too many gaffes about Homer and Greek epic to persuade any expert.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Last Saturday alone, there were multiple gaffes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Athletic director Scott Barnes has made a series of gaffes in Corvallis.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
It was so well presented with countless references to viral moments and gaffes.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
There were glitches and gaffes aplenty.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
No major gaffes to leave any of the contestants sprawled on the killing floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Morgan and Tilis want to give Panthers head coach Dave Canales the best roster possible, and the duo wasn’t afraid to dissect their previous gaffes to make sure that happened.
—Mike Kaye
april 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Apr. 2026
His portrayal of academic life will leave real professors wincing, if not giggling … Despite the obvious research that Martel put into his novel, there are too many gaffes about Homer and Greek epic to persuade any expert.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Last Saturday alone, there were multiple gaffes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Athletic director Scott Barnes has made a series of gaffes in Corvallis.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffes
Noun
-
Read on to see the beauty blunders, silly styling and overall head-to-toe outfits that these stars regret.—
Tanisha Bhat,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
Nearly all of them are blunders, offenses or revelations about the people Collins has put in top positions in his House office, his campaign office or both.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The issue is not that AI makes mistakes—human decision-making is also imperfect—but that models operate at a scale and speed that rapidly amplifies those errors faster than they can be discovered and addressed.—
Troy Holaday,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
But Boutros has acknowledged mistakes made in the case involving the Broadview protesters.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The danger of hallucinations means health officials must tread with caution, given the outsized impact that errors could have in the response to a public emergency.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
-
The model writes the code, runs the tests, reads the errors, fixes the code, runs the tests again, and reports back when something is shipped.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Democratic leaders seem determined not to allow anything to get in the way of winning Maine’s Senate seat, even if that requires willful blindness toward Platner’s lengthening record of indiscretions.—
Shannon A. Mullen,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Ultimately though, Johnson was undone by his own indiscretions.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Spurs on some of the chickens were cut excessively short to fit steel fighting gaffs and blades for more lethal fighting, deputies said.—
Timia Cobb,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Cockfighting draws scrutiny, too, with homes searched for steroids or gaffs — the sharp blades that get strapped to a fighting rooster’s feet.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
County Clerk Anthony Vega said in an interview on Wednesday that his office has the necessary sophisticated equipment to discern voting improprieties.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
-
Based on evidence found in the initial weeks, the school and law firm still needed actual proof of improprieties, and not having to base their claims on scuttlebutt around the facility.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gaffes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffes. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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