1
as in mistakes
a wrong judgment
another misstep like that, and the company could go belly-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in blunders
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
a misstep that could lead to disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of missteps
Byard studies a smartphone showing his year-old wishes for a new coach, those expressed to a reporter late last season, including disappointment that far too many missteps had been improperly dealt with.
—
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The chief’s comments, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Palisades fire, were the strongest admission yet of missteps by department leaders.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Schoen was expected to be in the hot seat at the end of the regular season after several notable missteps during his tenure.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
When enterprises rely on devs to build passkeys in-house, any gaps or missteps that occur during the process can surface as user friction later on.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
To avoid some of the same missteps in achieving those goals, Kate Byrne, a financial wellness expert with Vanguard, offers up advice in this In Your Corner Podcast episode.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
With realistic plans and a willingness to learn from missteps, small changes can add up to long-term financial stability.
—Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The willingness to discuss failure and missteps—not as cautionary tales, but as evidence of survival—ran throughout the event.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
While many key figures—including Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell—later expressed regret over the absence of WMDs and policy missteps, Cheney famously defended the invasion and the narrative around it in the following years.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The chief’s comments, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Palisades fire, were the strongest admission yet of missteps by department leaders.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Similarly, Schoen was expected to be in the hot seat at the end of the regular season after several notable missteps during his tenure.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
When enterprises rely on devs to build passkeys in-house, any gaps or missteps that occur during the process can surface as user friction later on.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
To avoid some of the same missteps in achieving those goals, Kate Byrne, a financial wellness expert with Vanguard, offers up advice in this In Your Corner Podcast episode.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
With realistic plans and a willingness to learn from missteps, small changes can add up to long-term financial stability.
—Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The willingness to discuss failure and missteps—not as cautionary tales, but as evidence of survival—ran throughout the event.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
While many key figures—including Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell—later expressed regret over the absence of WMDs and policy missteps, Cheney famously defended the invasion and the narrative around it in the following years.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missteps
Noun
-
Will Baltimore manage to thwart a Vikings rushing attack that gashed the Lions for 142 yards, cause McCarthy to assume a heavier load than Minnesota’s coaches would like and force the first-year starter into youthful mistakes?—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Williamson County based Ramsey Solutions has also come up with an effective guide to avoid any regifting blunders.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Dec. 2025
-
There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Orlando dominated the home stretch, however, by capitalizing on a string of Celtics errors.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Tied again at 21, the Rattlers had three hitting errors down the stretch.—
Tim Meehan SD,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Missteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missteps. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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