1
as in blunder
a wrong judgment
they made a mistake when they thought the young pitcher was ready to be called up to the major leagues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in error
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
made a mistake on the exam that almost cost her a passing grade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to misunderstand
to fail to understand the true or actual meaning of
the auctioneer mistook my nod for a bid, and I ended up buying a painting I don't even like
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to underestimate
to make an incorrect judgment regarding
you seriously mistake me if you think I scare so easily
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to confuse
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
she mistook physical attraction for love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mistake
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Yet the claim that our public-health mistakes can be pinned on some special force called groupthink is both unhelpful and misguided.
—David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
But when one of them steps out, there’s no mistaking it.
—Will Brantley, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Noun
One recurring theme with these losses are mindless mistakes by various culprits.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Yet the claim that our public-health mistakes can be pinned on some special force called groupthink is both unhelpful and misguided.
—David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Bats may mistake reflective turbine blades for the brightness of open skies.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
But when one of them steps out, there’s no mistaking it.
—Will Brantley, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mistake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistake
Noun
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The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That does leave retailers less margin for error and requires a better mastery of data analytics to improve demand forecasting—making sure that what is on offer matches what shoppers want.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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Kelly did not disclose what structural engineering issues the building had, but said that the company's structural engineering firm informed Amazon of its error in a statement without elaborating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Perception can lead to misunderstanding Perception is how countries view each other’s actions.—
Kaleb Demerew,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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Does the music feel lesser or compromised to you, or are the critics being unfair or just misunderstanding the new album?—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both initially received warm welcomes on the festival circuit, but the lack of hyperbole had many perhaps underestimating them.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Schumer has stood firm, and Republicans underestimated how dug in the Democrats were.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Farmers’ Almanac will be gone for good after its final 2026 edition, not to be confused with The Old Farmer's Almanac, a separate publication.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
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Blue Origin also launches New Shepard from Texas The New Glenn spacecraft is not to be confused with Blue Origin's much smaller New Shepard rocket that the company launches from West Texas on brief trips taking paying passengers high above Earth's atmosphere.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Torsten Sløk, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said forecasts of an imminent slowdown have been repeatedly wrong, and the economics profession should start grappling with its track record of misjudgments.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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More concerning for the Seahawks than Macdonald’s misjudgment was the fact that Charbonnet’s run wasn’t close to being successful.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The storm was the deadliest typhoon to hit the country this year, killing at least 114 people, with many more reported missing — most in Cebu province, a tourist hotspot.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Free throws from Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey sealed the deal for New Orleans, who were playing without star Zion Williamson, who is scheduled to miss at least a week with a strained hamstring.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After months marked by corruption, violence, and the open perversion of law, to gasp in outrage at the loss of a few tons of masonry and mortar might seem oddly misjudged.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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On one occasion, a blunt-nosed viper misjudged the distance to its prey.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mistake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistake. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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